Harry Potter: Thawed Tribute
by peregrin01
Summary: Centuries after WW3, Harry Potter comes out of stasis in Panem.
1. Awakening

Awakening

Green forests, seemingly untouched by civilization. Behind them, in the background, mountains. Blue sky above. Wild animals running unchecked in the forests. Carnivores and herbivores locked in the eternal oscillation of predators and prey.

The scenery looked like primordial North America at first glance. A careful observer would notice that some of the animals looked a little bit different from what photos in our biology schoolbooks would teach us. Those knowledgeable enough in the history of Earth knew that the strangeness stemmed from two sources: "natural" mutation from radiation and genetic engineering.

A mockingjay sat down on a branch. There was a nest of tracker jackers nearby. The former was a halfbreed, never intended to exist. The latter was a left-over from a conflict which ended about three quarters of a century before. Neither was as interesting as a capsule which was buried under nearby mountains.

The capsule was a relic from a war which took place centuries earlier. Its design was a blend of technology and magic. It had only one purpose: to keep a person inside alive in a stasis. A short while after the mockingjay took flight again, the capsule's internal clock ran out. There was a hiss and the stasis field started to dissipate. Harry Potter started to breathe again.

* * *

At the brink of previous millennium, a war broke out. It's roots were even half a century older. They were quite humble and unnoticed at the time, overshadowed by a clash between two of the most powerful wizards of that time: Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald.

The matter drew so much of Dumbledore's attention (because of his history with Gellert) that he failed to realize when he trod over a little unremarkable boy named Tom Riddle. Dumbledore was first and only person Tom ever trusted. Unfortunately, his trust was terribly betrayed in less than a minute. Instead of delivering the expected salvation, Dumbledore caused Tom to suffer even more than before. Maybe he caused this unwittingly but that mattered little to Tom.

The most horrendous of Dumbledore's crimes was dragging a third major player in his subsequent conflict with Tom: Harry Potter, who would be Tom's natural ally under different circumstances. Luckily for Harry, Dumbledore was betrayed by one of his own servants, who finally saw through his lies and allure.

And so it was up to Harry to stop Tom Riddle and save Dumbledore's world. Alas, Harry had no desire to save anybody. He fled with his best and only friend, Hermione Granger. It was mainly her idea to seek an alliance with the British military. Harry's reason for supporting the idea was his desire to see the two worlds collide and destroy each other. Neither of them had any idea that they were starting a global war.

* * *

With one last hiss, the enrichment of the atmosphere inside the capsule ended. Though he was still drowsy, Harry started to come to himself slowly. A light appeared, emitted by several economic lights. They warmed up slowly. Harry raised his head. His vision was returning about as quickly as the light level increased. First thing he saw were letters painted on the outside of a small window in front of him, behind which was only the metallic hull of the outer shell of the capsule: "mione Gran" (only seen backwards, like in a mirror, from Harry's perspective). Harry's head sunk again and he was lost in waking dreams of memories.

* * *

To say that the conflict between the British military and the British magical underworld was unsuccessful would be an understatement. Maybe if the government had started with some kind of an anti-magical project decades ago, there might have been a chance - but they had not. Aside from Harry and Hermione, the military had only a few muggle-borns on their side.

Harry, Hermione, and their allies lost ground quickly. If there had not been a limit to how much people the Death Eaters could put under the Imperius curse, they would have lost even quicker. There was no other choice for the two magicals and a portion of the involved military personnel and selected civilians but to abandondon the country and flee to the only ally willing to offer a helpful hand: the United States of America. Probably because it could see its own fate mirrored in the doom of Britain.

* * *

A few minutes later, Harry started to wake up again. The light was so bright that his eyes hurt. Once he accustomed, the letters spelling a part of his friend's name gained focus again. He had no idea why had she defied their orders and convinced him to go in the stasis instead of her. Did she feel that he deserved to survive the "apocalypse" in spite of the wishes of their superiors? Was she angry at him and wanted him to see the results of his (their) actions? Maybe she simply had no desire to go through either herself.

The drowsiness started to pass. Instead, desire to stretch his limbs and feelings of claustrophobia pervaded. Suddenly, supports around him retracted. While he had expected that, he wasn't actually prepared and sagged to the floor.

He hoisted himself up after a while and grabbed a small ampoule of clear water which had been prepared for him. It wasn't like he was dehydrated from the centuries of stasis, it was more like a reflex after a long sleep. He drank the ampoule in three gulps, spluttering a little.

Once he collected himself, he glanced at a digital chronometer to his left. Two centuries exactly. That meant that he woke exactly as planned - nobody had come to dig him up and to wake him manually. Nor there had been any kind of a signal from the vault. The vault - the main ark of humankind (at least on continental USA). However, that was the last thing on Harry's (originally Hermione's) list which went as follows:  
\- Check the status and readings of the equipment on board of the capsule.  
\- Perform cursory health check of your own person.  
\- Determine whether it is safe to leave the capsule.  
\- Leave the capsule and destroy it unless there is a valid reason not to.  
\- Secure the immediate area of arrival to the surface.  
\- Perform further revision of your own status.  
\- Secure and scout the broader area of the "burial" site.  
\- Brief respite and recreation.  
\- Determine the status of the vault area. Retreat unless there is a valid reason not to.

Harry checked the displays again and took his "survival" kit. He wanted out. He wanted to stretch his limbs. There was a small keyboard by his left hand. He punched a code in it. A ten-minute countdown appeared on a display above it. Harry started to concentrate. Finally, he managed to teleport himself to the surface.

He wasted about two seconds to take a deep breath of fresh air. He started to survey his surroundings. There were five words to describe his findings: He did not recognize anything. Literally - what he saw was alien to him and completely different from what he remembered. Not that he expected any different. As he kept looking around, he found the forest around him stranger and stranger.

Once he determined that he was the only humanoid around, he granted himself some respite. His health seemed to be all right and there were no unexpected side effects from the stasis. More importantly, his magic suffered no permanent damage. While he inspected himself, a container of special acid opened in the capsule under him. Somebody else might have wanted to keep it (and possibly salvage it) but Harry saw no reason to diverge from the protocol. The capsule was quickly consumed and collapsed. Hermione had thought that it would be better than blowing the thing up.

Harry found fresh water and killed a badger to sate his hunger. As he roasted it over his camp-fire, he remembered a certain house of his old school. It gave him a certain satisfaction when he buried his teeth in the meat. He put the fire out, stretched on his back, and watched the sky. It was so clear and the woods around him were pristine. A stray thought ran through his mind: Maybe he was the last human on the planet. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant idea.

He saw no reason to hurry and took a little walk afterwards. After all, the vault had survived (if it had truly survived) for two centuries without him so it could wait for a little while longer. As he walked, a mockingjay sat down on a branch above him. Harry noticed it and studied the bird for a while. The similarity with mockingbird was obvious to him.

The mockingjay seemed to be waiting for something. Maybe it wanted to hear a new melody. When Harry remained silent, the bird started to sing by itself. Harry didn't recognize the melody but logic told him that the bird was merely repeating it. To test his theory, Harry whistled a few notes of the British anthem once the bird was finished. Some of the notes were off on his first try so he started again. The bird liked his song better the second time around and started to repeat it after a moment.

Harry finally decided that there was no point to delay any further and started his trek to the vault. He couldn't transport himself inside it by magic because it was warded and for all he knew, it had collapsed ages ago. He also elected not to teleport to the area. It was risky because there could have been slight terrain-changes (e.g. rock-slides). In the end, he opted to travel by line-of-sight teleportation, self-levitation, and (of course) walking. After all, the vault wasn't that far.

While he travelled, he kept expecting to see some signs of civilization. There were none to see so far.

Finally, he reached the mountains. When he got to the other side and started to descend to the vault, he decided to continue on foot and applied some light masking on himself. He was pondering how to approach and gain entrance to the vault when he saw it - a great city looming in a valley in front of him.

Harry applied better concealment charms and started to think about what he saw. A city had been built over the vault - that wasn't so surprising. After all, the vault had been designed to serve as a foundation for a city. Harry continued forward to take a closer look.

Obviously, the vault had survived and flourished. That meant that Harry was supposed to retreat and leave the people in there alone. And yet, he felt that he needed to know more. What if the city had no connection with the vault whatsoever? What if it was merely built over the area of the vault? What if the city was inhabited by vampires and all the people in there were dead? Not that it mattered to him.

Harry decided to observe the city from a safe distance. He could see traffic in the streets. He saw a hovercraft some time later. It bore a loose resemblance to some designs on which he and Hermione had corroborated. Finally, he saw a train. If it had not arrived, he wouldn't have noticed the rail-road. There was "CAPITOL COAL" written on the train in big letters. Capitol - that meant that there were other human settlements (there would no point in calling the city a capitol otherwise).

As he kept observing, he determined that there were some questions which needed answering. Who lived in the Capitol? Were they descendants of the original vault-dwellers? What was the current social, political, and strategic situation of the society living in the city? Were there other settlements indeed? Who lived in them? Were they descendants of the vault-dwellers as well or were they external survivors? What was their situation and what was their relationship with the Capitol like? The sign "CAPITOL COAL" rubbed Harry the wrong way for some reason.

Harry decided that the best course of action was to retreat away from the Capitol and slowly and carefully gather more information. Waltzing in there, revealing his identity, and starting to ask questions would be idiotic. However, creeping in there while veiled by magic was risky as well. He and Hermione had helped to develop sensors capable of penetrating rudimentary magical cloaking. He had no way of knowing whether those (or even better) devices were installed in the city. His best chance of learning more seemed to be following the rail-roads.

And so Harry Potter left the area of the Capitol quietly and unseen. In following days and weeks, he found himself remembering details of the events that led him to that point.

* * *

Harry started to question the magical adults who had power over his life after his second year. The Dursleys had proven that they were volatile and capable of just about anything. And yet, Dumbledore and McGonagall sent him back to them without a second thought. After he had saved the school from being closed! There was also the matter with the fact that it was the two of them who had left him there in the first place (Harry had managed to coax this information out of Hagrid). Harry made sure to have a big knife at hand at all times at least. After all, he had slain a basilisk with a sword - a knife seemed sufficient for his uncle or cousin.

Still, he didn't think about it too much. That changed after his third year. He was angry. He could have gotten away from the Dursleys forever and even Dumbledore wouldn't have been able to stop him. Personally, he blamed the whole fiasco on Snape. In his opinion, Dumbledore's word that Snape was trustworthy no longer meant that Snape could be trusted - it meant that Dumbledore couldn't be.

It was during his fourth year that Harry decided to show signs of rebellion. When he arrived to the hostages during the second task, he knew that he was supposed to save Ron. However, it was obviously Hermione who was his best friend. Cedric arrived shortly after Harry left and freed Cho. Last one to arrive was Krum. It was difficult to say why he took Ron instead of Gabriel. Probably because he lacked Harry's fantasy and knew that the little girl was meant for her big sister. Dumbledore was probably disappointed with Harry that day but he didn't show it.

When Fudge stormed out of the infirmary after the third task, Harry cursed himself for being so slow. To his defence, he was still in shock from the whole ordeal. He didn't understand what exactly had happened there but he knew that he missed a chance. He should have insisted on speaking with Fudge alone. It was too late however and Harry also suspected that Fudge believed Harry to be Dumbledore's man through and through. Harry was angry at Dumbledore for that.

That summer, Harry retaliated against the old headmaster and showed his true colors in the process. He didn't mean for it to happen so soon but the opportunity was too tempting. It wasn't as if he actually did anything bad - it was about what he didn't do. When he felt the presence of the Dementors, he wasted no time and ran, keeping his immobilized cousin between his pursuers and himself. If Harry had got any regrets that day, it was over the fact that the Dementors couldn't kill more people from Privet Drive. Each Dementor can digest only one soul at a time and since there were only two of them, Dudley and Ms. Figg were the only ones to die. A smarter sentinel would pursue Harry even with its greatest weapon temporarily disabled but Dementors don't operate in such a way. Once sated, the two Dementors returned to Azkaban.

Harry had to be moved, of course. With Dudley dead, Petunia had no reason to keep the wards powered. Not that she could consciously control them but her decision that she no longer wanted Harry under her roof was more than enough. Harry kept expecting Dumbledore to appear and question him but it didn't happen. Harry took it as a sign that the old codger knew everything already. It was Mrs. Weasley who asked him why he had not used magic. "I can't use magic during summer - Dumbledore made sure of that," answered Harry simply.

There was an investigation, of course. Fudge hoped to link the deaths with Harry at first. Fortunately, director Bones took a great interest in the case as well. Fudge turned around later and struggled to keep the whole thing under the wraps. Maybe because Umbridge advised him to do that.

When Harry learned the prophecy after his fifth year, he dared not to defy Dumbledore. He pretended to be enraged by Sirius's death instead. After all, Harry did not have to kill Voldemort - he just had to die by his hand and then Dumbledore would be able to finish the job. Presuming that the prophecy had any real power to begin with.

As mentioned before, Harry was saved from Dumbledore's machinations by none other than Snape. Not that it stopped Harry from trying to kill the potions master immediately after that. He was no fool and realized that it would be a madness to engage Snape head on. Instead, he grabbed a broom and quickly moved in front of the fleeing Death Eaters. His cloak kept him hidden while he waited in ambush. When his enemies appeared, he didn't attack Snape, no. He fired the Sectumsempra curse in Draco's back instead. He expected Snape to die but with the mission completed, he was no longer bound by the unbreakable vow.

When Harry took the fake locket from Dumbledore's body, he realized that something was missing - the wand. He went to search for it. It was no accident that he found it quickly. It was as if some subtle sixth sense was pulling him towards the wand. When he grasped it in his hand, he was surprised to find that it was aligned to him (though maybe not as well as his own wand). It was difficult for him to (temporarily) part with it but he wrapped it in his cloak and hid it well.

There was a meeting of the "inner circle" that night/morning. McGonagall asked Harry to give her all the information he had received from Dumbledore. Harry had a very clear idea how to respond to such a request. He stood up and laughed without humour in his voice.

"Curious. Now you are listening," he uttered while he stepped closer and turned away from her.

"Mr. Potter," responded McGonagall sternly. "Now is hardly the time for..."

She didn't get to finish. When he was in a perfect position, Harry spun around and punched McGonagall square in her face. There was a satisfying crunch of her nose and far less satisfying pain in his fingers. It was stupid and immature but he couldn't help himself. His reasons for doing such a thing were simple: not her dismissal of his suspicions earlier that year but her high-and-mighty treatment of him for all those six years. She was supposed to feel guilty for leaving him on a street in a middle of winter for crying out loud!

The room was thrown into chaos. Somebody, probably Lupin, moved forward to restrain him. Harry quickly took his wand in his other hand and summoned his anger. He expelled Lupin away from him with such a force that he hit a wall.

Harry was hit by two spells in quick succession after that. First, Flitwick hit him with a petrifying spell. Harry stilled and started to fall over. That was when he was hit by a bone crusher from Moody. The retired Auror probably meant to merely break Harry's left arm but he shattered his collarbone instead (thanks to Flitwick). Harry fainted.

Hermione rose to action and blew up Moody's prosthetic leg under him. He fell and hit his head on a table (luckily, he sustained only light concussion). Several wands turned on Harry's wannabe protector. She levelled her own at them.

They started to argue and it took some time before Harry arrived in the infirmary. Hermione had to remind the others that their survival depended on Harry. It was clear from the looks of everybody still standing that nobody was particularly trilled with the idea or truly believed it for that matter.

Harry and Hermione gave the wizarding world exactly one more chance: at Dumbledore's funeral. Harry originally planned to wait till the end of the funeral but when he saw that some generic ministry speaker was about deliver Dumbledore's eulogy, he got up from his chair and made his way to the front despite the cries of protests.

First, he told the crowd that there was no reason to be worried because their level of safety was in no way affected by Dumbledore's departure. After all, the old wizard was so weak that even the late Draco Malfoy had been able to defeat him and so stupid that he had actually harboured his own murderer for years. Needless to say, part of the crowd did not react happily to such slander. On the other hand, Scrimgeour welcomed anything that would calm people down. He stood up, turned back at the crowd, and called for silence.

He started to regret it in a little while. Harry proceeded with his address and laid out his ludicrous proposal. To defeat Voldemort, they all had to change their ways, according to Harry. He requested a total restructuration of their society, their laws, and the Ministry of Magic itself. The most heretical idea he voiced was to strengthen their ties with the muggle government. Most of the crowd (mostly the ones who had been silent before) was shouting in outrage by that time. Scrimgeour stood up again, this time to stop the tirade. There was a heated argument between him and Harry and then some threats from the chosen one.

It was Hermione who convinced Harry to clear the field. She believed that Harry revealed too much information to the public. She also thought that it was unsafe for them to linger around. They spent the rest of the day inconspicuously packing their things and "borrowing" books from the library. Hermione left that night to send her parents to Australia. Harry made an appearance next day morning only to walk away under a weight of angry stares from pure-blood students. He rejoined Hermione. The rest was history.

Of course, there was more to the story, including an explanation why Harry didn't have his father's cloak and Dumbledore's wand with him when he entered the stasis capsule. However, before he got that far in his reminiscence, he met a remarkable girl named Katniss.


	2. Katniss

Katniss

It was a few months before the 74th Hunger Games. The excitement from the victory tour of the previous victor fell off and citizens of the Capitol started to look forward to next games. Citizens of lower districts awaited the looming date of next reaping with trepidation.

Katniss Everdeen didn't have time to think so far ahead though. Her only concern was to provide food for her family. And that's what she was doing the day she met Harry Potter in the woods around District 12. Gale wasn't with her that day so it was just her and her bow and several arrows grasped in her hand. She went deeper than usual because the morning was progressing and her game-bag was still empty.

Suddenly, she heard a sound she had not heard in a long time: a sound of a bear. She could tell almost immediately that the bear was angry. Katniss considered a possibility that a human was a target of that anger. Her next thought was that there weren't many people who would venture into the woods. One of them was Gale. She knew that it was irrational - her friend was back in the district. Still, she ran towards the sounds (while being careful and prepared to climb a tree if necessary).

The scene which greeted her once she scaled last ridge was a surprising one. There was a bear, all right, but its opponent was rather unexpected. It was a human, as she suspected, but nobody she knew. It was a young man (maybe even less than twenty years old but probably older) armed with a spear. He was sparring with the bear. The animal kept trying to swipe him with its claws but the man seemed to posses amazing speed and reflexes. Despite the fact that he seemed to hold his own (at least for the time being), Katniss was annoyed by his stupidity. It wasn't even a good season for hunting bears.

She nocked an arrow and prepared to shoot. The man was between her and the bear though. After several seconds, the man seemed to notice her presence, even though she made sure to remain hidden. He briefly glanced at her and refocussed back on the bear. He lurched to the bear's left flank and stabbed him in his hind leg. Katniss thought two things about that. One: it was a rash move and most probably motivated by greed (the man was probably afraid that she would try to get some meat). Two: it was probably going to merely enrage the bear. To her surprise, the man managed to place the stab so precisely that he paralysed the leg partially. Not that it didn't cause the bear to roar in anger and pain as well.

Katniss waited no more and let the arrow fly. Other people wouldn't risk hitting the man but she wasn't other people and was confident that she wouldn't miss. Something unexpected happened though. The man somehow sensed the arrow approach and knocked it out of its way by the butt of his spear. Then, in a move too fast to follow, he moved behind the bear and ran his spear through him. It seemed that he hit the heart because the bear started to convulse. The young man left the spear where it was and ran towards Katniss, drawing a knife as he ran. She nocked another arrow. She held another one in her right hand and two more in her left hand. The man took cover behind a tree.

"Why have you tried to kill me?!" he shouted at her. "I was going to share the meat for crying out loud!"

His accent was strange. Obviously, he wasn't from District 12.

"I was shooting at the bear you fool!" shouted Katniss back. She was frantically trying to predict whether the stranger was going to attack.

"Well, that's a little hard to believe," called the man back. "From your distance and position, you were more likely to hit me rather than the bear."

"That's not true! I knew I wasn't going to hit you!" Katniss regretted letting the guy learn so much - she gave away her strength.

"So you're some kind of Wilhelm Tell? No, wait a minute, that one had a crossbow. Robin Hood! Yes, that's the one with a longbow. Well, it doesn't matter. My point is that you would have to be a sharpshooter!"

Katniss had no idea what was he talking about but the meaning was clear. "Maybe I am!" she called back.

"Well I'm sure you'll forgive me when I tell you that it's too good to believe. You are from District 12, aren't you? So where would you learn that?"

"That's none of your business!"

"Prove it then," challenged her the young man. He picked up a fallen branch and stuck it out. He held it only for a second when an arrow tore the branch from his hand.

"That was easy and it doesn't really prove anything," called Katniss. "But don't expect me to waste any more arrows!"

"No need," responded the man and stepped out of his cover. "Please, humour me and tell me again: Were you trying to kill me? Answer yes or no."

"No! Why the hell would I want to do that?!"

The man lowered his eyes and said after a moment, "I believe you. I'm sorry for my behaviour but one can't be too careful in this time and day."

To say that Katniss was confused would be an understatement. The man bent to pick up the branch which had served as a practice target and dislodged the arrow from it. He tossed it back to Katniss. She snatched it from the air, adding it to the ones she held already. He turned his back to her and walked back to the bear, motioning to her to follow him.

The bear had died in the meantime. Judging by the ground around, it had not suffered for long. Still, the man seemed uneasy. His discomfort grew when he started to pull the spear from the bear. He looked at the blood-stained wooden shaft when he was done and threw it away in disgust. He turned back to the bear and stroked its fur.

"Would you believe that this is first time I've killed such a magnificent creature?" he told Katniss. He looked up and saw the incomprehension on her face. "Don't get me wrong, I'm sure this magnificent animal will be a true delicacy. But still..." He fell silent.

He stood up after a moment and continued, "It doesn't matter, let's get to the point. As I've hinted earlier, I'm taking only a few pounds of meat for myself. You can have the rest, including the fur. To eat, to sell - whatever you want to do with it."

Katniss almost salivated at the thought. Hard to tell whether it was from the prospect of meat or from the vision of money. Then she realized that she wouldn't be able to get it back to the district soon enough. She wasn't going to be able to fetch Gale and return before next day. The air wasn't warm yet but the meat wouldn't last that long.

The man continued, "Of course, the question remains whether I'll simply cut the choicest parts off and leave or whether I'll let you take those and even help you to get this colossus back. Or whatever you want to do with it."

Katniss tried to process what was happening. "Why would you do that?" she asked in the end.

The man looked at her face and laughed. "Don't worry, it's not what you think," he replied. Katniss wasn't sure what he meant. "I merely want to sate my curiosity."

"Curiosity about what?"

"Your archery skills. I'm not going to pry about where did you get that bow and where have you learned to shoot but don't tell me that they taught you that at a summer camp."

"What?"

"Never mind. Since I have secrets of my own obviously, there's only one thing I would like to know: how good are you with that bow?"

Katniss remained silent.

"Think of it as a competition," continued the man. "A competition in which you can win both my help and first pick of the meat. I hope you won't mind that it will be a rather one-sided event because my skills in throwing a spear or a knife are pathetic when compared to yours."

Katniss considered that it was an attempt to deprive her of her arrows. Still, she needed his help so her only choice was to make sure to always pick her arrows up after every other shot.

"By the way, where is you quiver?" asked the man.

"My quiver?"

"Yes. That's a thing for carrying arrows."

"I know what a quiver is!" snapped Katniss.

When there was a bow in Hunger Games, the arrows for it were always placed in a quiver. It didn't make an appearance very often and there weren't many tributes capable of using it. When they did, it was always only for support or deterrence. Katniss had never seen anybody to actually hunt with it - neither animals nor other tributes. It was always used by somebody from higher districts, especially from number 1. Carrying a quiver on one's back (or carrying it at all) wasn't always practical. Alas, even in cases when a terrain in an arena made usage of a quiver awkward, it never occurred to any tributes to leave it behind or to ditch it completely because they never used a bow in a way in which it would matter. Incidentally, the ones with a bow were always first ones to die upon breaking of a career pack. Katniss would be able to list a few more mistakes done by most tributes when it came to archery.

Katniss never used a quiver herself because she was in woods and the terrain was rather hilly. She usually needed only a few arrows anyway. The only exception was during times of high activity of wild dogs when encountering a hungry pack was probable. In those times, Katniss always took a bundle of extra arrows and tied them together with a string. This precaution had saved her from having to spend a day on a tree a few times.

"Very well, let's get on with this," said the man, not quite understanding.

He made her to shoot small static targets at first. She told him to stop wasting her time and he obliged her by throwing a few cones for her.

The man noticed that Katniss always nocked an arrow from the right side of the bow (on the side of the hand in which she held an arrow). She also kept both her eyes open (just like he himself was used to with firearms) and it seemed that she wasn't aiming at all. Her posture was different from what he expected and she didn't hold the bow completely vertically but a little diagonally. Either it was a very basic style of archery or a highly practical one. Considering the fact that the only point of reference he had were professional archers competing in Olympic Games, the latter was probably the case.

The man opted not to ask about her style and rather learn more about its results. There was no more shooting, only questions. He inquired about her skills in long-range indirect shooting (which she had little reason to practice), curved shooting, and other techniques that had been merely mentioned by her father before he had died.

"Is this going to take much longer?" she exclaimed in the end. "Because this bear isn't getting any fresher."

"I'm sorry, we'll get at it soon enough," he mollified her. "I have only one more question: How good are you with that bow in close quarters?"

"Close quarters?"

"Yes. I'm sure you've encountered wild dogs on your expeditions. Shooting turkeys from a hideout is one thing. Fighting multiple enemies who are all around you is another."

Katniss shook her head and retorted, "Well, we tend to avoid such situations." She fell silent abruptly as she realized her slip.

"We?" asked the man. Then he raised his hands, palms forward, and added, "Never mind, none of my business." He stood up, clapped his hands and said, "Well, let's get going. One option is to cut this beast apart and carry it on our backs - not very realistic. Another one is to process the bear right here and now - not that I know how to do that. I guess our best shot is to make a sledge which we can pull."

Katniss thought about it. It was a bear and not some deer which could be slipped under the fence and smuggled to Rooba. However, she had never processed a kill (especially such a big one) out in the wilderness. Not to mention that she had no salt. There was also another matter - she did not trust the stranger much. Maybe a variation of the first option was the best: cut off as much as she could carry and leave the rest to carrions.

"Although I should mention that I've seen a natural salt lick not far from here," added the young man.

Katniss nodded thoughtfully and said, "Very well, let's turn this bear into jerky and lard right here."

"OK, I'll fetch some salt."

Katniss was befuddled a little, since she had no idea what "OK" meant. The man started to trot away.

"Wait!" called Katniss after him. "What's your name?"

"Harry. Harry Potter, to your service." He bowed his head little as he said that. "I was under impression that you wanted this meeting to be anonymous."

"Well, it seems we'll need to call each other somehow in next several hours," she replied. "I'm Katniss."

Harry slightly bowed his head again and replied, "Well met." He ran off. Katniss started to gather wood. A few seconds later, she heard a crack from Harry's direction. She assumed that he stepped on a branch and shook her head at such a clumsiness.

Katniss didn't even have enough wood when Harry returned. It was strange because Katniss didn't remember that there were any licks that near. She dismissed the idea and the two of them hung the bear up on a low branch and started to skin the animal.

"You know, it wouldn't take much to improve your skills with a bow and arrows," remarked Harry while they worked. Not that he knew much about archery. All that he knew were stories of fanciful tricks (such as shooting an arrow upward and hitting a beer can placed on the ground in front of you) from times when people still had time for such nonsense.

"I don't need to improve anything, thank you," retorted Katniss through gritted teeth as she pulled the bear's hide down its torso.

"I can see where you would get the idea. Facing dumb animals all the time, never taking any risks."

"That's all I need."

"I bet your father was skilful even in areas that weren't necessary for his immediate survival. I bet that he would be also able to take care of a bunch of Peacekeepers if it was required..."

Katniss's fingers slipped from the hide she was pulling and she fell on her behind. She was up in a flash and snarled, "What did you say?"

"Your father? It was just a wild guess. I assume it was him who taught you all of this?" Harry gestured at Katniss's bow and their make-shift encampment.

"Yes, but that's none of your business."

"No, it's not. But I wonder what would he say to you if he was here."

Katniss glared at him and exclaimed, "What a hell do you know about it?!"

"Deduction. Your father had no sons, am I right?" pressed Harry. "And he died before he could teach you everything he knew, am I right?"

"None. Of. Your. Business!"

Harry raised his hands in surrender. "OK, OK. I won't pry," he promised. He grabbed the hide and nodded at Katniss.

Soon enough, the hide was down. Katniss immediately started to scrape it and told Harry to make three large fires. It took a while before Harry prepared them. Katniss rolled her eyes when she saw how haphazard they were. Hence, she was surprised a little when she heard a sound of cracking wood a moment later. She looked up and saw that Harry was already fanning up a third fire. That was yet another strange thing because Katniss didn't see any fire-making utensils. She also didn't remember hearing a sound of matches. Maybe Harry had got some kind of a lighter.

Katniss was done with the scraping and spread the hide on a big boulder to cool down. She took a look at the salt Harry had brought and instructed him to grind it. She started to gut the bear. She took its liver, kidney, and damaged heart and skewered them on a sharpened stick. It was primitive but she couldn't afford to waste time.

"What about the brain?" asked Harry.

Katniss told him that she needed it for a tanning solution.

"Are you crazy? Do you know how much vitamins and minerals are in there?" he protested.

"And do you know how much does the hide..." she started and stopped again, realizing her mistake.

"Nothing," finished Harry for her. "It's worth exactly nothing because nobody is going to be willing to pay for it. Who in his or her right mind would wear a bear coat in front of Peacekeepers? I may not know anything about tanning but I have a feeling that it would better to let this hide go stiff and hard and use it as mattress or a rug. After all, it will still give you warmth, at least from underneath."

Katniss admitted that he was right and told him to crack the bear skull open. In the meantime, she salted the hide and strung it up.

When they started to quarter the animal, Harry said, "You know, I didn't mean to be so nosy about your archery and your father. I was actually trying to compliment you."

"Not interested in hearing compliments," muttered Katniss.

"Well, I've got one anyway: I think that you are better than half of those career tributes from upper districts."

Katniss stopped cutting the meat and asked, "And that's supposed to be flattering?"

"No, but this is: If you trained a little, you would be better than any of them."

"I don't want to train to be a tribute!"

"Well, it's better to be prepared than to be sorry."

Katniss shook hear and stated, "Let's get back to work." They started to cut the meat again.

After a while, Harry spoke again. "Let me tell you a story. There was once a sculptor and he made a beautiful statue..."

"Harry?" interrupted him Katniss.

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

"OK. I can do that."

They worked in silence after that. A few hours later, all the meat was being smoked.

"Well, that's it," said Harry and wiped his hands with a bundle of leaves. "Remember, fortune favours the prepared ones so think about what I've told you. Discuss it with your associates if you need."

Katniss took a breath to retort but Harry raised his index finger and repeated, "Don't answer, think about it."

He turned away and was about to leave. Katniss realized that he had not taken any meat.

"Haven't you forgotten about something?" she asked.

"What?" he asked and turned. Then he remembered. "Oh, thank you," he said with a chortle.

He took a kidney, half of the liver, and some steaks. His slip told Katniss one thing: He had no shortage of food if he was able to forget to take his share.

"It has been some time since I knew starvation, you know," explained Harry. "But, it's been nice of you to remind me. See you around."

After he left, he realized that Katniss reminded him of another strong-willed girl he once knew. However, Hermione Granger didn't care just about her own survival - she had higher ideals as well. Then again, most of that was probably from her upbringing.

* * *

When the British Ministry of Magic fell (or rather changed allegiance) without much hassle, Harry and Hermione perceived that as a treason against the crown and as a personal betrayal of the two of them. Or more precisely, as a disruption of their plans. They had expected Voldemort and the magical society of Britain to clash violently. They had expected the Ministry of Magic to be wasted by the war and Hogwarts to be besieged. They had expected rivers of blood to flow - pure blood. They had expected to watch all of that from shadows, quietly collect more muggle-borns, and then strike against any survivors with their new muggle allies. None of that happened.

Hermione wasn't sure what to do. She wasn't entirely sure that they could win an all out war. And yet, Harry was strangely confident. That confidence was partially pretended - he wanted the muggles to pull their own weight and bleed their own blood after all. But he had to admit that Dumbledore's wand was affecting him. He started to suspect that the wand wasn't actually Dumbledore's to begin with. Truth to be told, the entire part of Harry's life for which he was in possession of the wand was rather strange - as if he wasn't entirely in control of himself.

As mentioned before, Harry and Hermione fled Britain eventually. They had two Hallows in their possession: the cloak and the wand. Harry and Hermione were never given Dumbledore's bequests. To be honest, Harry would probably throw the snitch away anyway. That is, unless the stone spoke to him like the wand.

The American government was naturally concerned by the events in Britain. And yet, there was only one reason why Harry and Hermione were allowed to join the ranks of their military: a demonstration of Harry's power. True, half of it was the wand, as Hermione suspected.

In the meantime, Voldemort mostly finished his conquest of Britain. There were few insignificant pockets of resistance. Most notable of them were remnants of the Order (most members had been either killed or left when the muggles had attacked) and remnants of anti-magical troops (who weren't evacuated). The royal family was spared but put under _Imperius_ to help to sustain the charade for the outer world.

It didn't work much. In a time of globalization and Internet, it was impossible to hide the fact that something terrible had happened in Britain and kept happening in the rest of Europe. And yet, words "wizards" and "magic" weren't uttered by anybody. The theories ranged from an alien takeover to a zombie apocalypse. In the light of those events, Harry, Hermione, the former British prime minister, and other people joined the American president and the high command for a secret meeting which was supposed to determine American strategy for World War III.

"Mr. president, as you might know, I share a certain connection with Tom Riddle, aka the Dark Lord," started Harry once he was given the floor. "Do not worry, he can't read my mind, he never could. He can't control me either..."

"Yes, Mr. Potter, we do know that," interrupted him one of the present generals. It wasn't true for everybody in the room but Harry obliged him and skipped ahead.

"Very well," continued Harry. "In last month, I've strived to sort any feelings which I've received from him. To separate anything that he could intentionally send to me from things that simply slipped. I believe I have determined his intentions. But please, do remember that this isn't an exact science."

"Potter, stop wasting our time and tell us your opinion," stated the president himself, interrupting Harry again.

"As you wish. It's my belief that Voldemort's current state of mind can be likened to Hitler's after he conquered Poland. He went as far as he could with manipulation and subtlety - now it's time for brute force. To express myself clearer: Alea iacta est. That's what he feels and, unfortunately, that's what applies to us."

"Can you be more specific?"

"I'll try. How about this: While we speak, his men are turning the non-magical population into an un-dead army. While we speak, his men are training any magical children in Britain into little dark soldiers, maybe even future Death Eaters. I'm sure you know that there's only one thing which can be done for Britain at this point."

"You are talking about a nuclear strike, I presume?" asked one of the generals.

The former prime minister cleared his throat and stated, "I assure you that an average British citizen would prefer a quick death in a nuclear blast to a lifetime as a zombie. Inferi, I mean. The point is that you have a chance to stop this from spreading into the rest of the world. We failed because we acted too late. And you will fail too unless you act now."

A discussion ensued. Everybody was on board with the idea in principle but everybody had various concerns. There were two greatest ones: the impact on the environment and possible reactions from other countries. Yet no matter how much they discussed the matter, it remained clear that there was no way around it. The strike had to be made.

And so it happened that the British islands were engulfed in a nuclear inferno. Even Voldemort's new body and his snake familiar were destroyed. Harry and Hermione were also lucky enough that Umbridge (and Slytherin's locket) weren't underground at the time. Two horcruxes remained: Ravenclaw's diadem and Harry's scar.

However, the main result of the strike was shattering of dreams about magical conquests. Wizards went back into hiding and resumed their strategy of subtlety and subterfuge. It was unclear why the American government never disclosed their existence to the public. Of course, the president personally informed all the other nuclear powers about the reasons for their drastic actions shortly before the strike (which warded off any retaliation for the time being). However, the official explanation for the public was different: a viral outbreak. Maybe the president was afraid that various groups would start collecting muggle-borns, maybe the idea was slipped to him by one of his muggle-born bodyguards.

In the meantime, Harry and Hermione returned to Britain (equipped with anti-radiation suits and potions for treating radiation sickness). They knew by then that Harry himself (or merely his scar) was probably a horcrux. Harry saw no reason to obsess about it and rather thought about it as an advantage. Using the power of the wand, they tracked the diadem to the ruins of Hogwarts. They were confronted by Voldemort's wraith there. It wasn't actually a wraith, per say, it was more like a wisp - feeble and powerless. Seeing that Voldemort couldn't touch either of them, Hermione went to destroy the diadem with _Fiendfyre_. Harry was left to deal with Voldemort. At first, he attempted to use the power of the Elder Wand to cage the wisp. Alas, it was no use because Voldemort had less substance than a ghost. Harry realized that the only way to destroy Voldemort forever was to turn the wand against himself. When Hermione returned, Harry was lying unconscious in the rubble. His scar was burned out and the wand and Voldemort were gone. For some time it looked like Harry was going to die too but he recovered, eventually. He wasn't able to explain what exactly had happened, only that the wand had been sacrificed to destroy the last horcrux while keeping him alive. With the wand gone, Harry was free of its influence but he was forever changed by it nonetheless. Or was he? Maybe the wand had merely unlocked his true nature formed by years of abuse and hardship and locked away by Dumbledore's mind magic.

Harry and Hermione returned to the United States and reported their success. Harry informed their superiors that a large part of his power was gone (that was only a cover story, of course). He assured them that while he was no longer to be counted upon he was still able to be useful in the days to come. And so Harry and Hermione remained in the service of uncle Sam even after their primary goal was fulfilled.

The usage of nuclear weapons against Voldemort's forces (not to mention the fall of Britain) destroyed the global order established after World War II. Chaos spread across the globe and some people speculated that magicals were pulling the strings. Hermione rose quickly in her rank and soon, she became a head of research of new technologies based on knowledge taken from the magical world.

When it became clear that the old world was going to die, she proposed an idea of a vault. The people from the vault (or their descendants to be precise) would emerge from it after the war, build a city on top of the vault, and unite any surviving communities. Together, they were supposed to rebuild the country and preserve civilization.

Alas, there were too many factors which could go wrong. It was decided that some kind of a safety measure should be added to the plan. After many considerations and psychological profile analysis, Hermione was chosen as that safety measure. She tried to refuse and tell their superiors that Harry was their best bet. However, their superiors mistrusted Harry and believed that he was responsible for much of their current predicament.

The plan was for Harry to keep hunting their magical enemies down while Hermione was supposed to go to stasis. But, that was not to happen. Using the last existing hallow and a Time-Turner, they switched their places at last moment, with none the wiser. It wasn't that difficult - only a few people knew where the "burial site" was. Harry was buried in the capsule and Hermione disappeared with the cloak for some time. She tried to found her own magical community but it's unlikely that she ever succeeded. World War III was ended by a short but devastating nuclear exchange. The initial spark which had started the war was forgotten.


	3. Reaping

Reaping

 _ **AN:**_ _I have nothing against Haymitch but stories have their own will..._

Gale was just as befuddled by Katniss's story as she herself was. When she returned with him to the site next day, all the meat was still there. While Katniss had secured the meat from scavengers, there had been no way to prevent Harry from returning at night and taking most of the fruits of Katniss's labour. Gale had been convinced that it had been Harry's plan all along. When he saw that it wasn't the case, he grew even more suspicious.

"This whole thing sounds suspicious," he declared.

"Oh, where did you get the idea?" inquired Katniss sarcastically. "Maybe from the fact that we haven't seen him in our district before?"

"Maybe he's a Capitol spy."

"They don't need a spy. All they have to do is to squeeze our Peacekeepers and crush down on Hob. Also, why would a Capitol spy attack an irritated bear? Not to mention that this spear doesn't look like it was made in the Capitol."

Katniss lifted the spear as she spoke. It was all black from dried blood. The shaft was made from a roughly cleaned trunk of a young tree. It had a simple iron tip.

They made a large luggage from the hide and gathered all the meat in it. As they worked, Gale prodded Katniss about the things she had talked with Harry about. Her answer made Gale to pause and think. During their trek back home, he voiced his hypothesis: Harry was being secretly trained as a career tribute. Katniss was appalled by the idea. How could anybody from 12 want such a thing? She noticed a strange gleam in Gale's eyes.

"Haven't you said yourself that this is yet another way in which the Capitol divides the districts?" she exclaimed.

"Yes, but some change is better than nothing!"

"Don't be ridiculous. Even if he volunteered and even if he was any good, he would just join the career pack anyway! Nothing would change."

Unbeknown to them, Harry was observing them and listening to their conversation. He considered forgetting about the whole thing and going on with his plan alone but an idea he had gotten the previous day was tempting. It would be so much better if he had a partner - even an unwitting one. The idea led to another: an alliance of lower districts. It wasn't probably going to play any role but Harry wanted to have all bases covered.

* * *

Harry was observing the only living victor from the district - Haymitch Abernathy. His main observation was that Haymitch didn't follow any regular patterns. That is, unless buying new booze whenever he ran dry was a pattern. Yet, Harry managed to intercept his target in Hob one day. He didn't need his help particularly, he just wanted to make sure that Haymitch wasn't going to cause any trouble. Not to mention that he needed something special for the tribute parade.

"Excuse me, Mr. Abernathy," he addressed him. "Would you allow me to invite you to a drink?"

Haymitch turned to Harry, incomprehension on his face.

"I do realize that you don't actually need anybody to buy you booze," explained Harry. "All the same, I would like to do that, as a sign of recognition of your accomplishment. Though I believe it would be best if we had something to eat as well."

There was a very small pause. As Haymitch was taking a breath to respond, Harry quickly added, "And truth to be told, I need to talk to you."

Haymitch measured him suspiciously. In the end, they did talk and Harry told Haymitch about his intention to volunteer. Harry emphasized the fact that he had no family and no friends but Haymitch's reaction wasn't as accepting as he had hoped. Seeing that another kind of approach was required, Harry erased Haymitch's memory of the conversation.

* * *

The extra money from the bear gave Katniss and Gale some breathing space. Hence, it wasn't so surprising when Gale, after yet another of his rants about the Capitol and escaping, proposed that they should train themselves in other skills than the ones they necessarily needed. Katniss argued that with her father dead, there was no one to teach them advanced archery techniques.

"Well, we could start with something simpler," mused Gale.

"Like what?"

"Like this," replied Gale quickly and shoved. Katniss was sitting in a Turkish style at the moment and tumbled on her back. She was on her feet in a flash and the two of them started to wrestle.

"I don't think that this would be any good against a career," remarked Katniss after a few rounds.

"Well, it's better than nothing. With our names being there so many times, it's better to be prepared."

"Don't be ridiculous, you would just give them a better show. It's not like you could really win."

Gale fell silent and thought for a while before slowly replying, "Maybe I wouldn't try then. Maybe I would just try to make a splash, do something inspiring."

Katniss stared at him for a moment and exclaimed, "Are you mad? They would get rid of you as soon as they would see what are you trying to do and then they would kill your family!"

They started arguing again. During their argument, Katniss's eyes fell on a nearby edge of the woods. By pure chance, she spotted Harry standing there, watching them.

"What is it?" asked Gale.

Katniss's eyes flicked to him and then at Harry again. Only he wasn't there any more.

Gale turned around and said, "I don't see anything."

Katniss shook her head and muttered, "It's nothing. I just thought that I saw something."

* * *

Slowly but surely, the day of the Reaping kept drawing ever closer. With each day, anxiety of Katniss's sister, Prim, increased. Katniss assured her that it was nigh impossible for her to be drawn, that the odds were too low for that. And yet, odds have a tendency to act out sometimes, especially when somebody messes up with them.

The Reaping came and thanks to Katniss, it was the most dramatic Reaping in the District 12 ever, maybe even in all the districts. In the resulting confusion, nobody noticed Harry Potter approach until he stood in front of the stage.

"Excuse me!" he called loudly. "Since we have skipped to volunteering, may I join up as well?"

Katniss turned her empty stare at Harry, not really comprehending what was happening. He looked younger than before and he had such a clean shave that there was no sign of facial hair at all. He had a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and he wore a worn black T-shirt which had some faded print on it.

"Well, I'll take it as a yes," said Harry and leapt on the stage. He strode towards Effie who was so stupefied by the second volunteer that she didn't ask for his name. There was no need. "Harry Potter," introduced Harry himself, partially for Effie, partially for the audience. He twisted his torso towards a camera and jabbed his thumb in his chest where his name was printed. The print was partially worn down but it was still readable. Harry twisted again, exposing his back, and added, "District 12!" There was a big number 12 printed on his back. He turned to Effie again and finished his introduction by, "To your service, ma'am!" He struck his heels together and bowed when he said that, laying his bag down in the process. He spotted an opportunity, snatched Effie's hand and gently kissed it. Effie was startled at first, then surprised by the archaic gesture of courtesy.

Katniss was still in a kind of shock but it seemed that she wasn't going to take the unexpected turn of events well. Harry had to prevent any negative display and considered using magic on her. He decided against doing so, it seemed dishonourable. Instead, when it was time to shake hands, he turned to the crowd, pointed at a nearest bookmaker and bellowed, "I bet that nobody placed any bets on this, eh?" The words seemed simple and light but the actual meaning was clear, _"You make money on other people's children's misfortune."_

Harry let his eyes rake over the crowd. Katniss was standing next to him, stilled by his taunt. He grasped her hand and, before she could resist, raised their joined arms and cried, "Well bet on this!" Harry let go of Katniss's hand and did something rather cheap: He raised his right foot to his eye-level and kicked empty air a few times.

The time for farewells came. There was a little problem with Harry's bag because the Peacekeepers weren't sure if it wasn't against the regulations. In the end, Harry told Effie, "This bag should make it to the Capitol if you want our parade to be memorable." Effie agreed to take the bag to the train.

Before Harry and Katniss parted ways, he muttered to her through a corner of his mouth, "Don't make your family cry too much, you'll see them again." Anger flashed through her eyes so he quickly added, "Think about this: What was the probability of Prim's name being drawn?" Harry was taking a risk by saying that in company of Peacekeepers. Luckily, the ones stationed in District 12 were quite lax.

When guards ushered Harry in his "goodbye room", he told them that he had no family or friends in the district and that he didn't want to see any well-wishers. The Peacekeepers obliged him so Harry spent his allotted time pacing the room and worrying about what was Katniss thinking at the moment and whether she wasn't going to spoil their shots of train-boarding. After all, first impression was important.

It showed up that he worried needlessly. Katniss was probably angry at him but she wasn't going to show any weakness. Harry helped Effie to get in a car and turned to Katniss. Her facial expression was hard and unforgiving. Haymitch saved him by helping Katniss himself. He thought that it was amusing. Still, something nagged on Haymitch's mind, like he had met Harry before.

When they posed for cameras in a doorway of a train, Harry followed Katniss's example and opted for toughness rather than smiles and cheering. However, as soon Effie showed Katniss to her quarters and she was alone, she let emotions to overwhelm her. Mostly, she felt betrayed. It was obvious that Harry had planned to enter the games for a long time but she would expect him not to volunteer when he saw that she was a tribute. And to make matters worse, he knew her main strength, just like he knew her weaknesses. She had no idea what he had meant by his comment about Prim.

As she tried to process Harry's behaviour, the object of her musings barged in. Before she had time to yell at him, he waved his hand and all lights in the compartment fell dark. He was by her side in two strides and hissed, "Now they can't spy on us but we don't have much time. I can guess what you are thinking but consider this: If I wanted you dead, why would I go through all the trouble of making you volunteer?"

Katniss stared back at him in incomprehension.

"It was just one slip among thousands," elaborated Harry. "I could lie to you and tell you that the Capitol rigged the lottery because they knew about your hunting, just like they knew about your father. I won't though. It was me!"

She snarled and tried to hit him. He caught her wrist and continued, "Trust me, if I could do this with your friend Gale instead, I would. Alas, it seems that you are stuck with me for the moment. Why? Because there's no other girl in 12 who has the guts and skill to go through with what I'm planning. I'm sorry for that but I swear that you'll return home alive, free of the Capitol, and hopefully unharmed. Right now, all I ask for is that you reserve your judgement until we talk again."

Katniss was about to respond when the door opened and two Capitol people ran in.

"What's happening?" asked Harry, mixing some nervousness in his voice.

"It seems we are having some technical difficulties in this section. Please do follow us to the dining wagon."

The electricity seemed to work just fine in the rest of the train. Effie was already waiting for them in the dining room. She seemed embarrassed by the setback.

Harry clasped his hands, rubbed them together, and said jovially, "Well, a shower will have to wait. In the meantime, I believe we should talk business." He pointed at his bag and glanced at Effie.

"Why not?" she answered. "Though I'm afraid Haymitch won't be able to join us."

"Yes, yes, this time of year is always difficult for him," dismissed Harry Haymitch's absence and unzipped the bag. "Now, for the tribute parade. Tributes from our district were always dressed as coalminers. I believe you'll agree that this theme is rather overdone. Unfortunately, the only attempt to try something else was rather disastrous. But, it got me thinking..."

Harry explained his idea with suits representing burning coal. All things considered, it was quite an obvious idea - all the stylist had been merely too lazy to implement it. However, both Katniss and Effie were startled by the idea.

"Don't worry, it's completely safe, I've tested both suits myself," assured them Harry. "See these little tubes? They lead the gas from little containers under our armpits. We'll ignite the escaping gas and any flames will be always behind us."

Katniss argued, "And what if the tubes come loose? Or what if a breeze fans the flames on us?"

"Not to mention that the suits themselves aren't very fashionable," added Effie.

"Well, there will be a need for some final fitting," admitted Harry. "Could you please contact our stylist and clear it out with them?" Of course, ha planned to control the flames with his magic.

"Now that you mention it, your district has been assigned a new pair of stylist this year," told him Effie.

Harry snorted through his nose and retorted, "Let me guess, they were unable to get a better job."

"Well, I don't know them that well..." answered Effie unsurely.

"You know what? Tell them that they can claim the idea as their own. I'm sure they are going to love it."

"Well, there is a matter of safety - it's their responsibility after all."

Harry pointed her index finger at Effie and told her, "Tell them that I'll explain how everything works when we meet in person. I'll convince them." Of course, he was planning to use magic on his good for nothing stylist. And Katniss's as well, if she agreed.

An attendant arrived and told them that basic functionality was restored in the afflicted apartments.

"Well, time for a shower," said Harry, jovial once again. "See you in... twenty minutes at supper?"

Once back in her quarters, Katniss peeled off her mother's dress and started to fiddle with the shower's controls. She thought about what had caused the "technical difficulties". It seemed as if Harry himself caused anything electronic in his immediate surrounding to go haywire. And yet, such an idea was ludicrous. Still, Katniss became quite self-aware suddenly. For a moment, she saw Harry as some kind of a creepy power which might intrude on her privacy at any moment. She turned the shower off, dried herself quickly, and dressed herself in a first set of clothes she grabbed.

Effie collected them for supper soon enough. She had got news for them.

"Unsurprisingly, the idea with the flame was around for a while," she told them. She made it sound as obvious but the truth was that she had not thought about it ever before. "The problem was with safety however. Now, it was supposed to be a surprise but your new stylists believe that they have a solution! They will discuss it with you in person when we arrive in the Capitol."

"Well, that's truly surprising," remarked Harry.

Food was served and they started to eat. Haymitch didn't make an appearance because he was taking a nap. Effie complimented table manners of the two tributes.

"The pair last year ate everything with their hands like a couple of savages," she told them. "It completely upset my digestion."

Katniss was about to do just that but Harry stopped her. He explained to Effie, "You shouldn't let that to upset you. They weren't here by choice and were naturally angry about that. People want to lash out in such situations and because you were the only available Capitol citizen at hand..."

"So they wanted to make it more difficult for me?" asked Effie with hurt in her voice.

"Well, it's a job you've chosen and if it helps them to work it out..."

Haymitch arrived at that moment and vomited on an exquisite carpet.

Harry stared at him for a few seconds before saying, "Well, I guess we shall discuss our strategy with him tomorrow."

He wiped his lips with a napkin, bade the others good night, and went to his quarters. He decided to watch the reapings of the other tributes.

Harry and Katniss were already finishing their breakfast when Haymitch got up next day. Harry greeted him cheerfully and poured him a cup of coffee. Both Harry and Katniss watched Haymitch in silence as he buttered a roll for himself. Harry knew better than to start discussing strategy with him right away. Instead, he tried to make a small talk. Haymitch was unnerved by his light mood a little. Moreover, something kept gnawing at his mind - the erased memory.

"You have no idea what are you getting yourself into," declared Haymitch in the end.

"Oh, finally getting down to business," replied Harry. "We'll be in the Capitol in an hour but better late than never. Now, to answer your concern. Since everybody knows what the games are about, I'm assuming that you've meant my intention to become a victor. I'm afraid I'll have to disagree. We have you so everybody in 12 knows how does a victor look like and that being a victor isn't all it's thought to be. Also, I've never told you that I want to be a victor. True, this is first time we are talking..."

"You are wrong on both accounts," interrupted him Haymitch. "Being in the arena and merely seeing it televised are two very different things."

"Well, let me summarise it to see whether I've got it all. Let's see. First, you start to feel alone and isolated, as if the rest of the world ceased to exist. Some tributes may try to fight it through forming a pack but that helps only so far. As time passes, you start to feel like the game will never end, that there will be no survivors, no victors. And you are right. From a certain point of view, there really..."

Haymitch snarled, grabbed a bottle of some brown liqueur, and stomped away, muttering something under his breath.

"Hey, aren't you going to tell us some kind of a Zen-like wisdom?" called Harry after him. "What about: Embrace the probability of your eminent death and realize that there's nothing I can do to save you?"

Katniss was furious with Harry. She felt the he was destroying their chances. She didn't say that particular part out loud but she let him know of her displeasure. Harry told her not to worry about it. Katniss retired to her quarters again while Harry talked strategy with Effie. They arrived to the Capitol before long and the time to meet their stylists came.

Harry wasn't surprised that the suits made by Cinna and Portia were far better than the ones made by him. He was worried about the fake flame though because he feared that it wouldn't be as spectacular as a real one. Plus, he had something special in mind and he wasn't sure whether it would work with Cinna's flame.

When they were taken to carriages, Harry focussed his attention at their horses first. Then a surprise arrived - in a form of a little girl from District 11. To be honest, she was far more surprised than he was after he made an eye contact with her. Harry came to a decision that his plans needed slight alterations.

He started by walking over to the carriage of District 11. Rue was watching him intently but Thresh didn't notice him until he was standing in front of their horses. The large boy stared at Harry in incomprehension for a moment. He felt Rue's hand on his arm but he shook her off and strode towards Harry.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded menacingly.

Harry starred in the eyes of a horse for a second before he turned his attention to Thresh and responded, "There's no need to be hostile, I've just wanted to say hello. I'm curious about the horses as well because they seem a wee bit strange to me but paying you a visit is the main reason for my presence here."

Thresh was confused a little by Harry's strange way of speaking. Harry moved to the other horse in the meantime and looked into its eyes. Thresh demanded to know why would Harry possibly want to meet them. Harry's eyes flicked to Rue before he spoke. "I would answer but it seems to me that your friend have looked around and figured it out already. The math is rather obvious in this case, as you would have figured out yourself by tomorrow. Well, I need to get going. I would tell you that our mentor is going to contact yours soon but as drunk as Haymitch is all the time, I propose to discuss this matter in depth during training."

Cinna was already waiting by their chariot when Harry returned.

"Could you go to the stylists of District 11 and stay with them during the parade?" asked Harry as Cinna was lighting their suits up. Cinna didn't understand and Harry had to repeat the request, claiming that he would explain later.

"What was all of that about?" asked Katniss when Cinna left. She meant both his trip and his request.

"I'll explain later," repeated Harry. "Now hold on, this ride is going to be memorable."

The cheer in his voice made Katniss worried. And she had every right to be. She started to suspect that something was amiss when the horses broke out into trot and veered of their course. It made her even forget momentarily that their capes were burning.

"Don't be startled," told her Harry.

She didn't realize what he meant for the time being and just held onto him and onto the chariot. Then she noticed that the chariot of the District 11 wasn't adhering to its expected course either. Both chariots were running in parallel instead of in line. Katniss couldn't see it but Thresh was rather startled by the unexpected turn of events while Rue was merely excited. There were shouts from the crowd which was intrigued by the deviation from the unwritten protocol. Their mood kicked into a higher gear when the fake flames behind Harry and Katniss flared out. Tendrils of it extended to the chariot by their side, bringing Rue and Thresh into its fold. That was the point when Thresh grew really alarmed but Rue grasped his hand and shouted something at him. A fiery wing formed above the four tributes.

Harry wondered what the Gamemakers and other authorities were going to make of it. Maybe he went overboard a little. Nonetheless, there was no point in fretting over it. The fire disappeared and all the chariots took their expected places in the City Circle. The crowd was insane with excitement and it didn't seem that it would abate any time soon. Harry looked up at president Snow, then around at the other tributes, and finally at Snow again. He had a silly urge to raise his arm and cry out, "Ave Imperator, morituri te salutant!"

Snow was looking back at Harry. He wondered whether the president was going to single him out, to recognize that he was the only one unperturbed by the flashy display. Then he heard Rue responding to the cheering crowd and waving back at them. He briefly wondered whether Rue's behaviour was going to get her in trouble when Katniss joined in. Thresh looked at his companion and followed the suit. At the moment, he didn't realize that the entire thing could be interpreted as "12 is going to burn 11". Harry didn't know whether it fooled Snow. Not that Harry could possibly get in any significant danger but Snow had the power to force Harry's hand early. The stylists were in trouble for sure and Harry wondered how were they going to play it.

While Snow had his speech, Harry turned his eyes down. He could feel it. There, somewhere under the surface of the City Circle, slumbered old magical wards, still active. The ones he had set with Hermione to protect the vault. The vault wasn't directly under them. It was more like under the presidential mansion and the adjacent gardens. Of course, that made perfect sense - there was no need for any underground infra-structure under the gardens. It was a perfect camouflage. It led Harry to a question though: Was it possible to enter the vault from the city underground? Maybe the only entrance left was a small elevator hidden behind a secret door in Snow's office. Harry would need an accurate plan of the city to determine whether the mansion and the gardens covered the vault completely.

It was only three of them when they entered the elevator: Harry, Katniss, and Effie. Haymitch was nowhere to bee seen. Harry wagered that he was talking with the stylists.

They reached their floor and Effie pointed the tributes to their quarters and announced when the dinner was going to be. She looked at her charges and was a bit disappointed to see that they weren't overwhelmed by the apartment. She couldn't say that she was surprised in Harry's case.

Harry followed Katniss to the door of her room and whispered to her, "Take a short nap, if you can. And wear the most extravagant dress from your closet for the dinner."


	4. Time Travel

Time Travel

 **AN:** _In the film adaptation, the train station seemed to be in a middle of the Capitol. However, that's not so clear in the book. In my story, the train station is at an edge of the city._

They weren't joined by Haymitch, Cinna, and Portia even during the dinner. Harry reckoned that they were still dealing with the aftermath of his stunt. He wondered what they were telling the Gamemakers (or Peacekeepers, for that matter). He hoped that it wasn't anything too incriminating for him or too disruptive to his plans.

Towards the end of the dinner, Harry noticed that one of the Avoxes seemed to recognize Katniss from somewhere. A quick mind-peek told him what he needed to know. He decided to divert a possible upsetting of Katniss. At least for the moment. Patting his belly, he loudly asked when the training was going to start next day. He received an answer and responded, "Oh dear, I should hit the bed early if I want to get enough rest. I can't sleep well with my stomach full but a stroll on a fresh air would fix that. I've heard that there is an open roof with a garden which is accessible to us. Is it true?"

"It is," replied Effie. She didn't hesitate with her answer but she wasn't quick either. "I think you should avoid any contact with other tributes though. I don't want you to get in a fight."

When they were leaving the table, Harry nodded to Katniss and asked her whether she wanted to join. He told her that they should talk briefly anyway. His eyes glanced briefly at a clock on a wall and he remembered the time. Katniss guessed that he was finally going to give her some answers. She was right. On the roof, Harry led her towards a group of bushes while making a small talk.

"Watch this," said Harry at one point. He grabbed a handful of gravel and tossed it at the forcefield. While the grains were noisily rebounding, he whispered to Katniss, "Get ready, they must not notice anything."

Katniss had no idea what it meant. They arrived to a place where the bushes were thickest.

"Try it yourself," suggested Harry, nodding at the gravel under the bushes.

Katniss looked back at him questioningly.

"If we are both going to die, then we should leave some mess behind at least," added Harry.

Katniss bent down to pick up a handful. Harry fixed his eyes at a randomly selected place under a bush. There was nothing, no note - that was good.

"Take a deep breath," advised Harry just as Katniss was about to throw. She narrowed her eyes in confusion. Then she threw.

"Watch out!" cried Harry as the gravel flew. Katniss felt him grab her and they were falling into the bush. She realized suddenly that they were falling much farther and deeper. She had a feeling of being turned inside out and squeezed through a tube. Finally, she tumbled on a solid ground.

"Don't vomit! Take deep breaths!" urged her Harry. Katniss had a hard time following the advice.

"What was that!?" she demanded.

"It was just in your head. Your mind was trying to... Oh, you mean how have we gotten here?"

Katniss looked around. They were at the base of the mountains surrounding the Capitol. She could see the city in the valley under them. They were about as high as the top of the training centre.

"How...?" she stuttered, unable to fully form the question.

"Just a little trick I would prefer not to repeat. There's no indication that they can detect it but let's not push our luck."

Katniss seemed to be in some kind of a daze so Harry continued, "I know I've promised you an explanation and I'll give you one but we have to move quickly and go back in time before they notice our absence and sound an alarm. We'll return to the roof in the exactly same moment we have left but temporal logic can be tricky."

Katniss still made no answer so Harry stated in a strong voice, "Of course, if you want to get out of here, then I shall not stop you. However, that's something you want to do earlier today - so either way, you need to get your... posterior up in the gear. We have to go. Run, truth to be told."

Katniss had no idea what was he talking about but run she did. They set up a brisk pace and a minute later, Harry raised his hand closed in a fist to signal to Katniss to stop. She didn't understand what the gesture meant immediately and he had to repeat the command verbally. He pulled some shrubs away and revealed a metal box which was partially buried in the ground. He opened the lid and pulled several items out. First one was some kind of a tiny hourglass on a fine chain. Some kind of strange sand was floating in one of the halves. Harry put the chain around his neck. Next one was a Glock with an attached silencer. Of course, Katniss merely noticed that the gun was different from what was issued to some Peacekeepers and she had no idea what the strange cylinder was. Two wigs, two purses, and a few more items followed.

Harry held out the two wigs and asked, "Which one do you want?" Both of them were ridiculous. One of them was bright green and the other was purple. Katniss made no response.

"OK, I'll take the green one," said Harry. "Since it matches my eyes and all." That was ridiculous - Harry's shade was completely different. He tossed the purple one to Katniss.

"I guess you don't know how to use this?" asked Harry, holding out the gun. Again, no response. He detached the silencer and put it in his pocket. He stuffed the gun and an extra magazine in a purse. The remaining items went in the other one.

"Let's go," commanded Harry, handing the second purse to Katniss.

They walked quickly but they did not run this time. It seemed that Harry was less worried.

"Why should I trust you?" demanded Katniss while they walked.

"Because you have no choice. You have revealed your greatest weakness to the Capitol so your options are no longer death or victory. They are death or eternal slavery now. That is, if it wasn't for me - you choices are much better now."

"What weakness?"

"Prim. You showed that you are willing to die for her. They would use her against you, force you to become their puppet. I'll rather refrain from going into details at this moment.

Katniss pondered about her situation and decided to stick around. "Very well, what now?" she asked.

"Now, we need to get to a certain place. If the Capitol has any means at all to detect what we had done a while ago, then that is the place where they are most likely to detect it - because it's going to have the best protection. Plus, I wouldn't be able to... jump in there directly - that place is protected against it. So I would have to arrive somewhere near which would be complicated because I don't know how does it look like there not to mention that I would get caught for sure. With my luck, I would probably appear in front of a camera or a technician and that would be hard to explain."

"So how do you plan to get in there?" spoke Katniss finally.

"I, or we, need to do it the old way. The first step is to get inside the city without being discovered. That's especially difficult during the games because there's additional security in place which focuses solely on smooth course of the games. This includes, for example, preventing any unexpected unrest and, of course, preventing any District 13 agents from interfering with the games. Not that it helps much since they have infiltrated them already."

"District 13?"

"I'll explain later. Now, what have you noticed about the security when we arrived at the train station?"

Truth to be told, Katniss had not noticed any security at all. Harry shook his head and continued, "The perimeter was broadened to accommodate for the crowds greeting the tributes. Afterwards, the majority of the guards retreated again. Sparing the expanses and such. There are other ways to get in the city but it would be most effective to use this overlap."

"How? I don't see any overlap. Not to mention that it was hours ago!"

"That's because you think three-dimensionally. Now, are you going with me? I promise that this isn't some kind of a trick and that I shall bring you back before anybody notices us missing. You need to make a decision now: run away right now and disrupt the best chance for the survival of your district or stick around and decide later?"

Katniss nodded after a brief hesitation. Harry smiled faintly and said, "Great. We need to get to the train station. There are still regular guards so we need to be careful."

They quickly covered about two hundred meters and slowed down gradually. They were getting near the train station. Harry pulled out a small scope from Katniss's purse and surveyed the area before them quickly. He noted cameras and Peacekeepers.

"I think we should be able to avoid detection," he told Katniss. "However, it's possible that there are some hidden cameras which I haven't noticed. All of them with NV capability, no doubt. I'm not even talking about infra-red sensors."

Harry asked Katniss to hold still and took hold of her elbows. He concentrated for a moment and muttered something under his breath. He did a similar thing on himself and even in the dim light coming to them from the city, Katniss saw that his image distorted.

"It should shrink our heat signatures as well. The system should think that we are small animals. Hopefully, all human operators will be concentrating on the city."

They began their final approach. Luck was on their side and they raised no alarms - at least not to their knowledge. Harry directed them to public toilets at a very edge of the station. His eyes fell on one specific door. There was nothing special about it so it was strange when Harry murmured "Bon" silently. Katniss didn't bother to ask him what was it about. Harry looked at a big digital clock which was near them to check the time. Katniss took a look as well this time around.

They stepped into the WC stall and Harry said, "I know that I'm as secretive as a certain famous detective but do not worry, my dear inspector, all shall be revealed in a few days when I get all the suspects in one... arena."

Harry pulled out the fine chain around his neck and threw it around Katniss's neck as well.

"What?" she started but Harry was turning the hourglass already. The world blurred around them.

"It doesn't matter whether somebody entered this stall between the present and the future," said Harry. "What matters is that it is closed now."

Katniss opened her eyes. It was way too much bright in there, even with the light off. There was noise outside.

"Let's go. Try to look cheerfully," said Harry and took her hand.

They stepped outside. The sunlight blinded Katniss.

"They are coming!" cried Harry out excitedly. To her credit, Katniss understood that as a command to collect herself. Not because she understood the words but because she understood the tone.

She rubbed her eyes and saw that they were surrounded by a crowd of cheering citizens of the Capitol. They were at an edge of the crowd but Katniss couldn't see that from her point of view. In fact, she was too busy wondering how it was possible that it was day again. She suspected that Harry did something to knock her out.

"That toilet is out of order," said a rough voice of a Peacekeeper.

"My apologies. My wife needed to pee and the door was unlocked..." excused them Harry.

Katniss looked back. There was an "out of order" sign on the door behind them.

"They have fixed it probably during next few hours," uttered Harry.

That was an utter nonsense from a grammatical point of view. Katniss closed her eyes again and rubbed her forehead. A beginning of nausea started to form in her stomach.

"Look lively," urged her Harry. "I've told you that they are arriving."

"Who's arriving?"

Harry made no response because the train was pulling in already. It whizzed past them and Katniss noticed that it looked exactly like the one they had arrived in. She shook her head. Of course it looked the same! All Capitol trains looked the same.

Harry looked around and whispered to her, "Why the hell does everybody around dress like a second rate pop star?"

The train stopped and two tributes stepped out, followed by Effie and Haymitch. The crowd started to cheer. It seemed that the events of Harry's and Katniss's reaping excited them. Harry joined a part of the crowd in chanting Katniss's name. He made sure not to chant too loudly because he feared that his past self would recognize his own voice. Katniss started to feel ill.

"What's wrong?" asked Harry and took hold of her elbow to give her some support. "Calm down. They are the past, we just observe them. It's not like they are the future."

A man standing next to them overheard those words and scowled at them, misunderstanding the meaning. He clearly liked the tributes (as much as you can like somebody who you want to send in an arena). Harry wasn't worried that the man would recognize them. His eyes (and brain) simply didn't work that way.

Katniss wasn't getting better and Harry figured out that he should get her away from the area. Maybe time travel affected mundane people more than wizards (especially when coupled with encountering one's past self). He led Katniss away from the train station. They walked for a while and stopped in a park.

"What's wrong?" repeated Harry when they sat on a bench. "Did you see yourself several hours ago and have you suddenly remembered it now?"

Katniss shook her head which didn't surprise Harry. After all, if she had seen herself, she would have freaked out much sooner. Harry was confused. Time travel had only one rule which was simple enough: Do not interfere with what you can remember. It wasn't an actual law which you had to obey. Time has an unique ability to protect itself. Any attempts to change the past as you remember it are doomed because of the logic of the entire matter. There would a short oscillation which would result in one stable version of the events. Wiser time-travellers planned for this and developed all sorts of habits which served as fail-safes for those cases. In short, a Time-Turner was only able to "give" somebody more time - just like Dumbledore had said.

Harry shook his head. Such musings were useless because the rule of time travel clearly wasn't broken. Something else was affecting Katniss. He thought back to everything he knew about physics, especially the chaos theory. Maybe they were affecting the past simply by being there, causing a butterfly effect. If that was the case, how was it possible for wizards to travel in time without suffering any ill effects (for as long as they were sticking to the main rule). Harry realized that he had never heard about a mundane travelling in time before. Maybe magical time-travellers were shielded by their magic. Harry shook his head again and wished for a TV to watch Star Trek on for a dose of sanity.

"I owe you an apology," admitted Harry finally. "I had no idea it would affect you like this. The good news is that it should get better as we get closer to our original time." That was a lie. It was also possible that it would get worse first and then stop suddenly.

They got moving again. Harry advised Katniss to keep her head down - there were security cameras on the buildings around them.

"Where... are we going?" asked Katniss.

"We need to get inside service tunnels without raising any alarms."

Harry finally saw the kind of café he was looking for - a lower price class but still nice. They entered and Harry bought a coffee for himself and camomile tea for Katniss. Harry started chatting with the patrons while his companion did her best not to draw attention.

They ended up sharing a table with a young couple selected for the same reasons why the café was - they were trying to look cool and stylish but the material of their clothes suggested that they belonged to a below-average salary grade and that they probably lived in a central unit (with an utility access to underground) to save money. Harry confirmed his suspicion by mentioning inconspicuously that he and Katniss themselves lived in a central apartment and that it was being traversed by workmen at the moment. That earned them sympathies of the other couple immediately.

The discussion inevitably turned back to the games after that. Harry kept veering the discussion towards the District 12. Katniss wondered why he had to do that after their parade. Then she realized that they hadn't seen the parade yet, if Harry could be trusted. The whole thing with travelling in space and time was confusing (if it was true).

"Wait a minute!" exclaimed the young Capitol man suddenly. "You two look just like them!"

"Finally somebody noticed!" rejoiced Harry and beamed in delight. "We've gone to a face stylist right after their reaping before anybody else would get the idea as well. It cost us pretty penny but I have a feeling that the price is going to go up after the parade!"

"Pretty penny?" asked the Capitol women in confusion.

"I beg your pardon, I've heard it's a figure of speech from their district," explained Harry.

He was asked about their hair and explained that they were used to their normal colours and were out of money to boot. Both their companions wondered whether the tributes from twelve were truly worth all the hype.

"I assure you, those two will make a splash," maintained Harry. "I hope that their stylists realize this and that their parade will be memorable. This reminds me, I would like to make a small requests, if you don't mind."

The Capitol man made a gesture consisting of straightening his torso and narrowing his eyebrows in confusion. He gestured with his hands for Harry to continue.

"Would you please call us Harry and Katniss?"

That surprised the Capitol couple even though all sorts of weird things were being done in the Capitol for fun.

"Well, if it makes you happy..." answered the young man slowly.

"Your friend..." the woman started to say.

"Katniss," interrupted her Harry.

"Your friend Katniss doesn't seem to say much."

"And that's completely in character! She sacrificed herself for her little sister. It's hardly surprising that she isn't talkative, unlike Harry who volunteered out of his own will."

Katniss supported Harry by nodding her head but she asked herself what all of that meant. The others went on to discuss their plans. Harry dropped a few innuendos which Katniss luckily missed. He also learned where the couple lived and that they didn't have tickets for the chariot parade. Soon afterwards, they were invited to the flat of their new acquaintances, since their own was being traversed by workmen at the moment. Katniss started to see that Harry simply wanted to gain access to the underground.

As they walked to the apartment building, Katniss wondered how Harry intended to play it. She noticed that the Capitol man was eyeing her from time to time. Harry caught his eye and grinned. The Capitol man grinned back. The Capitol woman raised an eyebrow in amusement. Katniss started to worry.

Her worries were alleviated (and replaced by shock) immediately after the door of the apartment closed behind them. Harry looked around and surmised that there were no security cameras. He was right behind the woman. He took her head with both hands and gave a quick, sharp jerk. There was a snapping sound and the woman fell to the floor. Katniss had to cover her mouth to keep herself from screaming. The man turned around, not suspecting anything. Harry was on him in a split of a second and wrapped his hands around his neck. They tumbled over an armchair and Harry's wig fell off. The man had no time to be dumbfounded because he died shortly afterwards. Katniss closed her eyes.

"Are you all right?" asked Harry.

Katniss opened her eyes slowly and commented sarcastically on what had occurred a moment before.

"Well, it's not like we should let their deaths burden our minds. You were sitting there too and you heard everything they said. They were typical citizens of the Capitol and I most certainly won't shed a tear for them. The only thing that made them different from the gangsters running this show was their lack of riches and social standing. They were lowly, envious beings wrapped up in a pretence of nicety."

"I was talking about the fact that you've killed them in cold blood."

"Well, that's I'm talking about! They got what they deserved."

Katniss shook her head. "I mean that we've been sitting at one table with them and chatting with them for some time."

"That's why it's called a confidence trick! If it makes you distrust me then I'm afraid that we'll have to discuss it at a later time."

They ditched their wigs and searched the apartment. They changed into something more practical and stored their original clothes in a bag. Harry used one of the gadgets he had brought to unlock the door marked as "utility". He also grabbed a timepiece.

"Take the woman," he requested.

"You must be joking," refused Katniss, appalled.

"We can't leave them here."

Harry opened the hatch and scouted ahead. The coast was clear so they dropped the bodies down. Harry locked the utility door behind them. Nothing in the apartment indicated that it was a murder scene.

After a while of dragging the bodies, they found a perfect hiding place. A small unused room full of off-line machinery. Harry removed a loosened panel and stilled in surprise.

"Well, somebody used this place before us..." he remarked. There were some old bones at the bottom of the space behind the panel. There was still enough space though.

They continued through the maze of tunnels, taking their time (Harry wanted their arrival to their destination to coincide with the parade). Katniss wondered how was Harry keeping his direction. After all, their route wasn't the most direct because had to make detours because of security cameras. She asked him about it.

"No, I don't keep track of every turn we make, I don't need to," answered Harry. "I can feel where are we going. I could feel it under us during the parade. It's weaker now because we are farther but it's still tangible."

"We are going to Snow's mansion?!" hissed Katniss.

"No, we are going under it."

They encountered a few workmen and Avoxes along the way and avoided them each time. Finally, they heard something which was rather rare in the place - a sound of a freight elevator. Ordinary maintenance crew used utility accesses through apartments to get to their destination faster.

"We are getting closer," said Harry and gestured to Katniss to keep low.

They reached the elevator and observed a group of men and a forklift truck emerge from it. Harry noticed that none of them were dressed like the usual maintenance personnel. The driver of the truck and a few more wore fancy overalls but most of them had civilian clothes. Harry decided to follow the latter ones.

As he suspected, they were led by them to a locker room. The entire crew left ten minutes later. After picking the lock, Harry and Katniss entered the room themselves. Harry opened some of the lockers and found two overalls. They pulled them over their clothes. There were only few helmets and most of the tools stored in the adjacent room were meant for delicate electronic work. Whatever those people were doing there, it most probably wasn't fixing of plumbing.

Suddenly, a man entered. He wasn't wearing a workman overall, he wore some kind of an uniform. He was armed. There was a plastic security badge pinned on his chest. As he entered, he was in a process of unzipping the upper part of his uniform. He watched them, trying to remember if he had seen them before. He concluded that he did not. Moreover, Katniss seemed way too young to him to be employed there. "Who are you?" he asked.

"We are new here," answered Harry. "We've been assigned to the maintenance of the cooling system of the vault's mainframe."

"What?" asked the man in befuddlement and started to reach for his side-arm slowly, just in case. Harry pulled his Glock out and put a bullet in the middle of the man's forehead. The bullet pierced the outer wall of his frontal sinus, flew through it, and finally entered his brain. Due to chance and limited muzzle velocity (because of the silencer), the bullet didn't come out on the other side. Harry started to move immediately after he fired. He grabbed a shirt on his way. He tossed the shirt on the man's head (to prevent any bloodstains) and caught his body before it slumped to the floor. Harry wanted to check whether there were more people outside but he was hindered by the body. Katniss was stumped a little and Harry had to hiss at her angrily to make her move. Luckily, the man was alone.

"Huh, empty chamber," remarked Harry after checking the handgun.

The uniform was unstained so Harry deprived the corpse of it quickly. He looked around the room and immediately discarded the idea of stuffing the body in a locker. He decided that they needed to hide the body somewhere away from there before continuing. They were passing the elevator when it activated again. They hid behind a corner quickly. There was one passenger only. He was dressed like a civilian but he had the same security badge as Harry's last victim and, of course, a gun. A bag he carried contained his uniform probably.

"I guess he came to relieve our friend here," observed Harry.

He gestured to Katniss to stay put and approached the guard from behind. The man didn't hear him coming. Harry whacked him over his head with the butt of his Glock and dragged him away before killing him.

"I'm sorry about all of that," apologized Harry to Katniss while they were dragging the corpses away from the elevator. "You didn't ask for any of this and yet I keep expecting you to perform like an experienced spy."

Katniss made no answer.

"On the bright side, we have learned something useful," continued Harry. "Have you noticed that the first one had no idea what was I talking about? That indicates that they don't have access to the core areas of the vault. Or maybe they do but it's not a common knowledge."

"What is this vault?"

"The place we need to get into. You'll see."

They found another off-line room. Harry asked Katniss to wait for him outside. He rejoined her momentarily.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"Just something for a case..." evaded Harry.

They returned to the locker room quickly. Nobody seemed to be looking for the missing guards yet. Harry changed into one of the uniforms. He hid the Glock inside his jacket and strapped one of the new guns to his hip. He put the other gun in Katniss's toolbox.

"OK, no more such encounters, all right?" he emphasized while he was examining his new pistol.

"And how are we supposed to do that? Most of them know each other."

"Avoiding them would be best, since our disguises can cover us only from cameras. If that fails, don't let them to take a good look at you. And most importantly, behave as if you really worked here."

Harry's assumption about cameras was confirmed when they had to pass one. There was no alternate unguarded route so they just kept their heads low and relied on Katniss's helmet and Harry's cap to conceal their faces. They continued via the corridor until they passed out of the camera's field of vision.

There was some kind of a checkpoint behind next corner. Harry took his scope out and observed it. There was a security door with a simple card-key locking mechanism. There was a guard-booth next to it. A guard was sitting in it, reading from some kind of a tablet, and drinking coffee. The security was complemented by two cameras. Luckily for them, neither of those were pointed at the door. Harry was quite sure that there was supposed to be a second guard - the one he had just killed.

"I saw this in a film once," commented Harry and took a small plastic bottle from his pocket. "Hopefully, it won't trigger an alarm."

He poured some white powder on his palm. He looked at the guard through his scope again and concentrated for a moment. Even after all she had seen, Katniss was still amazed when the powder rose into the air and floated towards the guard-booth. The powder was spread so thinly that the cameras didn't catch it. Finally, the powder slipped in the guard's cup and melted in the coffee.

"Hopefully this won't take long," remarked Harry.

They were in luck - the guard finished the coffee over the course of next minute. The effects arrived shortly afterwards. The guard tensed and shifted in his seat. He glanced around uncertainly, noting that he was alone in the room. Then he stood up and hastily walked away to nearest toilets.

"Now is our chance," commanded Harry. "There should be a tunnel behind the door. If there isn't one or if there are more guards, we might have to improvise."

They walked forth briskly. Katniss pretended to rummage in her toolbox to have an excuse to keep her head down. Harry just wore a stern face and relied on the cap to hide the upper part of his head. He swiped the security card of the second guard through the reader and they walked through.

Luckily for them, there were no guards stationed directly behind the door. There was just a tunnel which went about twenty meters further, down-sloping at an angle of ten degrees. A camera positioned above the door recorded the tunnel (which meant that it was only going to see their backs). The tunnel was ended by a round, large, massive vault door. It was at least a meter thick and had cog-like edges. The vault door was opened. Harry wasn't surprised by that - there was no need for it to be closed any more.

They walked down the tunnel with a little bit less speed but with doubled purposefulness. With the camera behind their backs, there was no space for any tricks. After several steps, Harry felt that they passed the outer layer of the wards. When he and Hermione had been building the wards, they had opted for complete jamming of all means of teleportation for security reasons. That meant that Harry and Katniss couldn't apparate around the vault and they also couldn't apparate out. The only exception was the core area which had its own wards which overruled the outer ones and allowed limited outgoing traffic at least.

There was a guard stationed by the door and Harry and Katniss could hear more people talking in the area behind it. There was no laxative this time around and they couldn't dispose of them quietly and hide their bodies either. The only option was to walk right through them, hide in plain sight. Luckily, Katniss wasn't faint of heart or prone to panic. Unfortunately, the guard by the door wasn't willing to let Harry pass without taking a look at his face at least. Also, Katniss's youth stood out, just like in the locker room before. Harry had no choice but to make an eye contact with him and confuse him. He tried to make sure that he wouldn't remember his face but there was no guarantee with the limited time he had.

There was a large hall behind the door. Part of it (on their left) was occupied by an opening mechanism for the door which was no longer used. There was a long command booth which covered the entire wall on their right. Before the final war, the entrance hall had been used to receive and sort out all the incoming occupants of the vault. The booth had been occupied by those who were organising the entire process while the actual receptionist had been working at desks set up in the middle of the hall. Alas, any traces of those times had been removed a long time ago (when the vault door had been sealed).

Several people were present in the hall. Most of them were technicians but there was also a scientist in a lab-coat. He was talking to two technicians. Only few people turned their heads to see the new arrivals. Harry and Katniss passed through the entrance hall. There was a smaller (closed) door on the left side but Harry went for larger one in front of them which was open. He noted that the cameras in the vault were different from the ones outside - they were the original ones. He didn't believe that no cameras or any other equipment had broken since the vault had been activated but there were enough spare parts in a storage to make fixes and replacements.

There was a corridor behind the larger door which came to a crossroads in about two meters. Harry ignored the turn-offs and continued straight ahead. They passed another technician and walked under two more cameras. They made sure that their faces weren't fully visible each time.

Finally, they reached a small spot which wasn't recorded by any surveillance. Harry pulled Katniss into a lavatory. It was empty which wasn't very surprising considering that it looked virtually unused.

"You can talk, if you truly have to," told Harry to Katniss. "Just keep your voice down."

"What is this place?" asked Katniss. The architecture and technology of the place bore some resemblance to those of the Capitol but not quite.

"That's a longer story - one which I'll be more than happy to tell once we get into the core area."

"You know it quite well here! I think you've been here before. How do I know that you aren't working for the Capitol?"

"Because this vault wasn't built by the Capitol! Can't you see that it's much older than that?"

Katniss said nothing.

"Let's get going," commanded Harry. "We'll talk later."

He opened the toolbox they had brought and picked some kind of an electric screwdriver. He went into one of the stalls and stood on a toilet. There was a ventilation opening. Harry removed its cover.

"There are motion sensors in the shafts, of course," he revealed. "However, there aren't any between this place and our next destination to my knowledge."

They crawled through the ventilation for several meters and reached another grill. With some difficulty, they opened that one as well and Katniss emerged into some kind of an empty closet-sized room. Harry made sure to replace the cover in the lavatory before following her.

"Where are we?" asked Katniss, not understanding what they gained by coming there.

"Something like a service access to minor systems," explained Harry and removed a panel from a wall. "Nothing vital but it can provide us with an uplink to the network of this place."

There was some kind of a switchboard. Harry unscrewed a small part of it, revealing some cables. He examined them and selected one of them. He took some kind of a digital pad-like device from the toolbox and prepared to attach it to the cable.

"Very well, Katniss. My previous actions have raised no apparent alarms which would seemingly indicate that the Capitol has no means of detecting them. However, this is something different. What I do next may trigger an alarm, despite my belief in the opposite. In such case, we will have to fight our way either back to the tunnel or to the core."

"This is crazy! There are too many of them."

Harry took the stolen gun from the toolbox, loaded it, and gave it to Katniss. "There's no safety, you can fire any time you wish," he instructed. "Make sure not to put the thumb of your left hand in the way of the slide."

"What is that?"

"The upper part of the gun that moves. It can hurt or even break your thumb. And do not, I repeat, do not ever point it at me."

Before Katniss could protest any further, Harry spiked the cable and connected to the network. He quickly logged in to a deeper layer of the system by using one of his old access codes. It was a long shot from logging in directly from the core using a secured console (which provided biometric and magical signature verification) but it was enough for the time being. Nothing happened, no alarm was sounded.

"This is so easy that I'm starting to worry," complained Harry. "Either they had lost control over the vault a long time ago or this is all some kind of an elaborate trap. Maybe they are using me to open the core for them..."

Harry browsed through the system. He found out that several lower level logins had been used recently. It seemed that the Capitol had only rudimentary control over the vault's systems. They could view feeds from cameras, lock and unlock door, adjust ventilation, and such. In other words, the software allowed them to control anything which they would be able to hardwire anyway. Harry made a mental note to look into it later and accessed the cameras.

"Look at that!" he exclaimed and showed Katniss images which showed vast storerooms which were filled with grain and other supplies.

Harry snapped his fingers and mused, "That's why are you always getting old grain. They don't eat everything they collect from districts - a half of it goes here. They keep rotating the supplies. When they bring in something fresh, they send the oldest food to districts from 7 to 12, possibly 6 and 5 as well. I guess the only fresh food in the poor districts is the one which is produced right there."

Harry moved to cameras which were closer to the core area. It seemed to him that the researchers were attempting to tap into the source of energy which kept the entire vault powered. It was possible for them to divert electricity from the auxiliary systems they did have physical access to but that wouldn't gain them much. Harry guessed that their true desire was to reverse-engineer the core. That was impossible, of course - magic had been used in its creation and magic would be needed to create more.

In the end, he displayed a camera feed from a wide corridor which was ended by a massive gate. Katniss couldn't see how thick it was but she could bet that it was almost as strong as the vault's outer door. There was about a dozen people working in that area.

"OK, here's the plan," proposed Harry. "I'll enter an automated subroutine which will open this door and disable the camera system. We'll start making our way to the gate, inconspicuously. A minute after that, the subroutine will kill the lights in the vault, with the exception of that corridor. Exactly thirty seconds later, lights will be killed in the corridor as well and gas will be released which will knock everybody in that area out for some time. That is, if that particular system still works. The system says it does but they could have removed the tanks. I find it hard to believe that nobody discovered them."

"What if we run into trouble?" asked Katniss, not bothering to wonder what a subroutine was.

Harry patted his Capitol handgun and answered, "We'll use these. A coroner will confirm that a Peacekeeper side-arm was used. They will most likely think that somebody got jumpy."

Harry activated the subroutine and detached the device from the cable. He replaced the panel, covering his tracks carefully. Then they waited for the door to unlock.

There was click and the two of them emerged into a corridor. They started to walk towards the core area at a reasonably leisure pace. They reached an end of the corridor. There were two doors through which they could continue - one on each side. The left one was unsecured but the right one was locked. There was a keypad next to it. Harry quickly punched in a PIN - not his own, he used the code of the guard whose security card and gun he carried. Unlike his recent hack of the system, using the keypad was being logged. Of course, he could have programmed the subroutine to unlock the door for them but using someone else's PIN was going to confuse the investigators.

It was about twenty seconds before the blackout when somebody addressed the entire vault through the intercom, "Attention please. We are experiencing minor difficulties with the surveillance system. Please remain at your current station and await further instructions from the security personnel."

Harry wasn't surprised by the reaction. If anything, he had expected the guards to become alarmed sooner. Maybe the operators weren't willing to act without informing their supervisor. Katniss was worried though and her hand slipped to where her gun was hidden in her overall. Harry touched her arm lightly and said, "Not yet. Let's pick up speed."

He was counting on one of the typical traits of the Capitol citizens - they were sheep-like, unable to think for themselves. His plan was proven sound a few seconds later when they encountered a group of technicians. They were huddled together and carried a whispered conversation about what was going on.

"Do not be alarmed, we'll fix the issue momentarily," he told them. His voice was hasty and lacked any resolution. Harry hoped that all that the technicians were going to remember would be a Peacekeeper issuing meaningless reassurances (instead of two people looking like two of the tributes).

They rounded a corner and Harry reached in his pocket. The lights were turned off and he strapped on an ocular which enabled him to see in darkness. He grabbed Katniss's arm and led her towards the core. She stumbled from time to time but Harry kept her steady. Ten seconds into the blackout, they approached two guards. They were were groping in the dark, they side-arms drawn. Because Harry and Katniss were half-running, the guards heard their footsteps.

"Do not be alarmed," called Harry at them. "We are in the process of restarting the system and it should came back on-line momentarily." As he was was saying it, he remembered that the Capitol had no way of restarting the vault's system. He hoped that the guards weren't bright enough to realize that. He was prepared to open fire but it wasn't necessary in the end. The guards lowered their guns and made no attempt to stop them. Harry was glad for that.

His alternate plan was to shoot them both and leave the gun next to their bodies. Since the guns were numbered, it would explain the disappearance of one of the previously killed guards perfectly. The problem was that Harry wasn't sure whether the theory of the man's involvement would bear a deeper scrutiny. After all, there was no video record of that particular man entering the vault that day. Hence, it was better to avoid any unnecessary confrontations.

They reached the final door. It was open and a scientist was lying in them, blocking them from closing. The gas was pouring out. Harry instructed Katniss to hold her breath. He pulled the unconscious scientist back inside and locked the door. Everybody in front of the gate was knocked out as well. Quick glance told Harry that while the Capitol had known about the tanks, they had left them undisturbed.

There was an unlocking device next to the gate. Closer examination confirmed what Harry had seen through the camera already - the Capitol researchers studied the device but left it undamaged. There were no visible controls, just a hand-shaped indentation. The Capitol probably believed that it was some kind of a biometric device. At most, they suspected that it measured brainwaves. The truth was even further - it was a mind interface. In other words, the gate could be opened only trough a specific mental command. One didn't even have to magical, having a sufficient focus was enough.

Harry placed his hand on the pad and transmitted his command and code. The device also verified his thought pattern. Harry's command was accepted and the gate started to open. It didn't open immediately due to centuries of disuse. When it did open, it was with a lot of noise and groaning. Harry whirled around and pointed his gun at the door they had arrived trough. Fortunately, nobody was arriving yet.

The gate opened enough for him and Katniss to squeeze through. Once on the other side, Harry reversed the process. Katniss could no longer hold her breath and took a small gulp of air. The gas was leaking inside and it was enough to make her light-headed. Finally, the gate shut close again and Harry breathed out in relief.


	5. History

History

"We did it! We are here!" cried Harry out.

"And what exactly is here?" asked Katniss.

It was dark all around them and she was still swooned by the gas. The air was stale. Not only that nobody entered that space for a long time but the ventilation was off-line as well.

"Like I've said - the core area of this vault. There's the main computer here and, of course, the primary energy source. Wait here for a bit, I'll turn the lights on."

That wasn't what Katniss meant but she decided to wait for her head to clear first. Harry walked to a switch on a wall. Unlike in the rest of the vault, the lights in the halls were only partially automatic. Nothing happened when Harry pushed the button though. He couldn't say he was surprised. Obviously, somebody left the auxiliary systems of the core area unpowered.

"I'll need to flip the main power switch of this section," called Harry at Katniss.

The girl was left standing in the darkness. Just when she was starting to get worried, she was startled by a screeching sound coming from the walls and the ceiling. She was so startled that she yelled out. Then she realized that it wasn't some kind of a creature but machinery. Before too long, the metallic screeching gradually stopped and was replaced by a hum.

"It's just the ventilation system," said Harry when he returned.

The light switch was illuminated by a LED which was inside it. Harry took his ocular off and pushed the button. Most of the lights were still working. One of them exploded, several were flickering. Katniss looked around. They were in some kind of an antechamber. There were three exits from there (not counting the gate).

"Well, let's go," said Harry. "There's no time to loose."

"Wait!" barked Katniss. "You've promised me an explanation."

Harry turned back and told her, "I'm a wizard and I was born in twentieth century. I know this place because I helped to build it a few centuries ago. If you want to know more about this place and about what's going on, then it would be best to hear it directly from the source. Truth to be told, I'm quite curious myself because I've been in stasis for the whole time."

"Stasis?"

"That means I was asleep and I wasn't ageing. Now, let's get going - I still need to check on the situation outside."

They ran through the corridors, switching the lights on as they went. The ones behind them were going to switch themselves off automatically after some time. The place was rather small so they reached their destination in less than a minute. It was yet another secured door - a PIN and a palm-print. Quite redundant (since they were behind the gate) but it was better to have multiple layers of security.

There was a small room with three terminals. Unfortunately, they weren't as sturdy as the central computer. One of them wouldn't even activate and the other two failed to boot. Harry cursed. Those three stations were the only ones which were equipped with magical signature validators. Even that was an overkill because there were only two accounts for magic-users (him and Hermione). Harry guessed that the console in administrator's emergency office (the normal one was in the outer part of the vault) would still work. He would have to use an account with a lower clearance but it would be enough for his purposes. Later, he could dismantle one of the three stations and connect its verification interface to a working computer.

"What's a wizard?" asked Katniss on their way to the administrator's office.

Harry looked back at her over his shoulder and answered, "Well, that's a guy who can disrupt electricity, teleport instantly over large distances, travel through time, and, of course, make laxative fly into cups of coffee."

"Yes, but how do you do all those things?"

"It took me years to learn them. Equal time would be needed to relay the knowledge."

The door of the office was secured by a keypad and a palm-scanner. Harry wondered how to open the door as fast as possible when he got a hunch. He simply punched in his PIN and pressed his palm against the scanner. To his surprise, the system opened the door even though he wasn't supposed to have access to the office. Obviously, the last administrator had wanted him to be able to get inside for some reason.

"Don't you smell something?" remarked Harry as he was reaching for the light switch. He flicked it and the answer became self-evident - there was a skeleton in a chair behind the administrator's desk. Katniss almost let out a startled yelp. Harry polished the brass name-tag which was attached to the remains of the uniform.

"Colonel Powell," murmured Harry in confusion. The dead man was the first administrator of the vault and an acquittance of both Harry and Hermione. Powell had never liked Harry very much but he respected Hermione. Closer inspection revealed projectile injury on his ribcage. There was a bullet lodged in his shoulder blade. It seemed that it had entered his upper chest from the front, glanced two of his ribs, and pierced his left lung.

"What a hell happened here?" mused Harry. Still lost in thought, he unzipped his Peacekeeper uniform, covered the remains with it and wheeled the chair in a corner. A leg fell off in the process. Harry carefully picked up any lost pieces and laid them next to the rest of the skeleton. Then he pulled another chair for himself and turned the computer on.

"Did you actually know him?" asked Katniss. She still didn't quite believe that Harry had lived in those times.

"Yes, he was the first commander of this bunker. And maybe, maybe also last one."

The computer continued in its booting process. It took some time and there were some error messages along the way but a graphical login screen appeared in the end. Harry used his second highest login and let the biometric scanner next to the screen to take his palm-print and his retinal scan. As soon as he was in, a message popped out, informing him of an incoming mail. It was in a mailbox which was inaccessible from his lower accounts. That signified that it was secret and important. True enough, it was a memo from Powell to him and Hermione. Nonetheless, Harry scanned a few first lines and decided to read the message later.

At the moment, it was more important to deal with the Capitol presence in the vault. Harry accessed the surveillance network in a way which allowed him to activate cameras individually (he blocked anybody else from viewing the feeds but he wanted to be careful). A quick survey revealed that the technicians had reactivated the lights partially already. Security personnel was present in the corridor in front of the gate. They were using drugs to awake some of the sleeping people so they could question them. Harry pondered his options for a moment and then he decided for something rather drastic. He initiated a lock-down protocol.

People in the entrance hall panicked when the huge vault door started to roll. Some scientists and technicians were attempting to stop the door from closing using all possible means - mechanic, electronic, and software ones. Other people opted to simply get out. A Peacekeeper shouted at the deserters to stop and help out instead. When he wasn't heeded, he gunned down two of them. Harry didn't stop at sealing the vault though. He proceeded by deleting or disabling all externally usable accounts he could. Finally, he cut off power to all non-essential systems in the main area of the vault.

"That should give us some breathing time," commented Harry.

He turned his attention back to the e-mail. It read:

 _Miss Granger (or Mr. Potter, for that matter), if either of you is reading this message, it means that I have most probably failed to deal with the situation at hand. In that case, you are the last card I can play. I won't bother to summarize the events which led me to this point, you can hear the story in its entirety in my personal logs. Attached is a list of dates or whole periods to which you should pay special attention.  
There is something else of which I have to inform you in this message. It's possible that you might find yourself in a need of a full administrator access to the vault's system. I can't dare to simply leave you with an access to my own account - the danger of wrong people getting control over the vault is too great. That is also the reason why I've rigged the superuser account to automatically block itself after two days of disuse. Instead, I have edited the privileges of your own accounts. Should you connect a magical signature validator directly to the core (you can find the instructions and the required hardware interface in my desk) and prove your identity, you will gain the same rights I myself posses. The beauty of this solution is that it will prevent Mr. Potter from using it unless he retains perfect control over his magic (which should signify that he retained his sanity as well). If that's not the case, he is more apt to damage the core instead. Of course, since you are already inside the core area, you can always temper with the vault physically but I don't need to remind you that even a magical shield won't protect you from the radiation which fills the singularity chamber.  
Good luck and may the God be with you. Yours sincerely, Col. Powell. _

Harry stroked his chin as he considered the matter for several seconds. He lowered his hands to the keyboard again and started to type commands.

"What are you doing now?" asked Katniss.

"My current level of clearance is sufficient for running a diagnostic of the core systems. In the meantime, we can listen to colonel's logs. I think we both need some answers."

One last keystroke and the main computer started the diagnostic. Harry needed to know the level of deterioration of the core area. He accessed Powell's personal audio-logs afterwards. The first one was labelled "day minus thirty". One of the reproductors built in the monitor was still working. The sound was scratchy though.

The log started by Powell stating the date, his name and rank, formal name of the facility, and a day index (minus thirty). The log itself continued, "This is first entry of my personal log. Today, I've been officially given the command of this facility. All the internal systems have been finished. Testing and diagnostics shall commence later today. On a different note, first occupants of this vault are going to arrive tomorrow. That is, if you discount the technical personnel already present here and my own person..."

Harry skipped the rest of the message and skimmed through next few ones. Colonel Powell said in log minus 25, "I have to admit, I'm becoming preoccupied by worries. Worries for the future of humankind, the ongoing war, and the looming invasion of U.S. soil. Most of all, I'm worried about the success of this mission. I keep expecting that something bad is going to happen before this vault is sealed. I try to tell myself that when somebody buys a basket of eggs in a store, he or she is most worried about breaking the eggs right before returning home..."

"Wow, I have never seen this side of him," remarked Harry as he stopped the playback. He scanned over textual tags and synopsis of following days. He didn't listen to the logs since they probably contained only reports of refugees arriving to the vault: more soldiers and technicians, scientists, teachers, even a few sportsmen and artists. Apparently, no wizards. Not even muggleborns.

The log "Day minus four" mentioned news of a Russian invasion of Alaska. Harry had not been in stasis by that time yet so he knew about those events. It had been some time before any more nuclear weapons had been used but a conventional war had been in progress and it had finally arrived into North America as well. The vault had gone into a grey mode after that - no further communications with the government and the remaining groups of refugees and transports of supplies had been required to proceed quickly and with secrecy. The people in charge of the project had feared that the enemies would learn about it.

Harry's eyes narrowed when he got to day minus one, which was the first date which was listed as very important in Powell's message. That was also the day when Harry and Hermione had started to implement their switch plan. Harry had gone into stasis a few days later. "This sounds interesting," he muttered and played the log.

"There was a disturbing incident today. I've met with the civilian committee and mentioned that it would be better to close the vault before the schedule. After all, last refugees will arrive today and we can afford to loose a shipment of fresh fruit which is scheduled for tomorrow. Just when we were discussing merits of my idea, an unauthorized group of refugees arrived. They were led by general Gregory. He has brought a group of high officers, some politicians, and a few other civilians. Most of them don't even have a clearance to know about this place."

Harry paused the playback and explained, "The civilian committee was a group of four bureaucrats commissioned by the government to act as a control organ in case the administrator of the vault went crazy. They were given hardware keys and codes which, when used all at the same time, gave them power to revoke the administrator's control over the system. As for this general Gregory, he was an older fellow. Just a year from retirement. He was a decent guy but no big hero either. I'm not sure whether to be surprised about this move of his or not." Harry resumed the log.

 _"Gregory handed me some papers which he claimed were official orders to accommodate his group. Of course, it was just a lot of bull. I told him that and added that there was no space to accommodate them. He tried to pull a rank on me. I called him a deserter and traitor. I ordered my men to disarm the group and to open fire in case of any resistance. It was obvious that they were uncomfortable with the situation. Despite the circumstances, they still feel like a part of the military command chain. The training and discipline is ingrained deep within them. Unfortunately, its contra-productive in a situation like this. Nonetheless, they obeyed me.  
One of Gregory's group, some colonel, I think, accused me of being a mad dictator. While he was drawing attention to himself, one of the civilians who didn't feel like giving up his side-arm overpowered the soldier who was searching him and used him as a human shield. I believe he's an agent but I have no idea for which agency did he used to work. The incident almost turned bloody when Gregory ordered his group to stand down and surrender. He tried diplomacy and told me that he needed to talk to me privately, that he possessed information vital to security of the vault. I obliged him.  
He informed me that there were rumours of Harry Potter going rogue. I have to admit, I've worried about his stability myself sometimes. However, Granger always stood behind him and claimed that he was dependable. She even insisted on him having the same access to the vault's system as herself. Gregory thinks that he's going to come and use that access to take control over the facility. I'm not sure I should take this information at face value but I'm going to insist on the vault being sealed as soon as last group arrives. I'm not sure if that's going to help us since the anti-teleportation wards have been created by him and Granger themselves but something tells me that they don't have the ability to create a secret hole in wards which wouldn't be exploitable by a more experienced wizard. If I was them, I wouldn't even dream of intentionally compromising the wards.  
As for Gregory and his people, we've come to an unorthodox agreement. He and his people are going to claim that they've resigned their commissions. They won't try to assert their authority while I'll provide them with refuge here. I don't trust any of them not to betray us to Russians if I tossed them out. The only other option is to execute them all and I'm quite sure that I don't want to do that. I wish I could contact Washington but that's no longer an option. I guess I'll have to keep a close eye on that agent. I've have also taken great care to make sure that the system is secure from an unauthorized intrusion. For all I know one of our unwelcomed guests has got some kind of a back-door access to the system." _

Harry continued with next entry right away. It was a supplement for day minus one. Powell's voice sounded tired.

"The vault has been sealed an hour before midnight and the access tunnel has been collapsed. There's no going back, for now. I guess that makes this the day zero, unofficially. Hopefully, anybody who might come here tomorrow will understand what we did and why. I think I'll leave my entry log planned for day zero and the speech to the crew for tomorrow."

Next log (index zero) said, "It should have been a relief to have the vault finally sealed but all I can feel is a bitter after-taste. I hope that the occupants of this vault haven't noticed anything during my speech. I'm not sure if I handled it all as well as I could. Maybe closing the door early was a mistake. What if there was a Secret Service team coming to arrest Gregory and his people? What if we have a potential insurgent in our midst now? These theoretical dangers aside, there are some concerns which are more solid. Some of the people here might feel that my actions yesterday were securing my position against any threat. Others are bound to feel the opposite - that I'm too soft and that Gregory shouldn't be here. I'll keep working on the mainframe. It would be best to move or even erase certain files. Especially the ones pertaining Granger and the contingency measure. Hopefully, nobody unauthorized viewed them in past sixteen hours."

Not many people had known about the stasis capsule. Harry wondered why Powell mentioned it at all. Maybe he wanted any hijackers to know that there were secondary measures.

The diagnostic finished at that point. Harry studied the results for a minute and then told Katniss, "I need to start working on getting that access to the mainframe. Could you please examine next few months of logs? There's only one date which is listed as important in that period but pay attention to first several ones as well. Unless something interesting happened, just read the synopsis of the following ones."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

Harry explained the controls, picked up the required components from Powell's desk, and left. His first stop was an emergency storage of tools. On his way, he noticed that somebody, and possibly more than one person, used to live in the core area. The core area had been built with a bathroom and Powell's office was equipped with a fridge but there were no living or sleeping areas. However, Harry also found something which looked like a makeshift mess hall. Further exploration revealed remains of a sleeping area consisting of a tattered curtain and four camp beds. There were two more skeletons on them, covered by blankets instead of shrouds.

Trusting Katniss to help him shed some light on the mystery, Harry collected the tools and the components. He returned to the room with three terminals and dismantled the one which seemed to be most preserved. Soon, he was hauling everything he needed towards the main computer room. He had to go through three highly secured doors: a code and a palm print, a retinal scanner and voice recognition, and finally yet another mind-controlled lock. The voice recognition was malfunctioning but Powell had apparently foreseen that and had set it to be automatically disabled in such a case.

Once inside, Harry made a quick repair on a fan in one of the cooling vents in the ceiling. Maybe he didn't need to but he wasn't about to take any chances. He walked to a screen on a wall and pulled out a keyboard which was in a drawer under it. The station seemed to be in working order.

The harder part came afterwards. There was a biometric scanner module attached to the computer. Harry removed it and examined its connection interface. It seemed that somebody fiddled with it, prepared it for what he was about to do. Harry started to work, putting the components together. Powell (or his aide) had created a reduction which enabled a biometric scanner and a magic signature verifier to be connected simultaneously.

Finally, he was able to access the system. He returned to the terminal and punched in the login and the password of his most privileged account. Once prompted, he submitted himself to the biometric scan and sent a weak pulse of magic in the verifier. The entire system was opened to him.

First thing he did was to check again on the situation in the main part of the vault. The Capitol people were trying to redirect power into the previously disabled systems, including the vault door control. _"None of that,"_ thought Harry. First, he accessed all the computers in the main area which had their own hard disks and wiped them (after downloading the data). Sure, it was an empty victory because they had most probably made backups but Harry wanted to be thorough. Next, he deleted any accounts which he had not been able to delete before.

He shut the power down completely afterwards. No electricity was going from the core out. It was drastic but he believed that Snow was going to believe that his researchers have triggered some kind of an automated defence mechanism. As a matter of fact, he did notice a VI (virtual intelligence) agent running on the mainframe. It was launched by Powell and it didn't seem to be countering his actions so he left it alone.

He checked for any messages and further information but there were none. He logged off for the time being, secured the room, and headed back to Katniss. On the way he was struck by a sudden inspiration and grabbed two spare blankets. They were frail but that was no problem for a wizard.

Katniss was listening to a log when he returned. It didn't seem to be of importance so she stopped it when Harry entered.

"How far are you?" asked Harry.

"I've covered almost a half a year."

"Anything interesting?"

Truth to be told, Katniss found the insight into psyche and everyday life of people destined to live underground for a few generations fascinating. However, it was clear to her that it wasn't what was Harry interested in. Hence, she just shook her head and answered, "Gregory died of a heart attack two months later. Apart from that, nothing seemed out of ordinary to Powell." She made a quick glance at the remains in the corner of the office when she said the name.

Harry scratched his ear and said, "Yeah, sorry about leaving you with him. Normally, I would incinerate him but I think he would prefer to rest with those who remained loyal to him till the bitter end. I've found two of them laid in a makeshift sleeping space. It seems that this was their last refuge - and their tomb."

It didn't actually matter what would he do with Powell's bones - considering what he planned to do. Alas, he thought it prudent to display some respect for the brave man for Katniss's sake. He rolled out the two blankets. After admitting that there was no way they could preserve the integrity of the skeleton, they simply heaped all the bones on the blankets and wrapped them loosely up in the upper one. They took the lower one on opposite sides and carried the whole thing to the sleeping area where they laid the package on a free cot.

"It's no surprise that his enemies didn't try to make a move," mused Harry on their way to the bathroom. He figured that Katniss would appreciate a chance to refresh herself quickly. "They needed to lull him into a false sense of security. Plus, they needed him. Powell wasn't selected for this project by a chance. If there was anybody who could keep this vault and its population functioning properly despite the fact that their world burned above them, it was colonel Powell. But who were his enemies and what did they want? Was it some kind of a conspiracy or did they just seize an opportunity? If we learn what happened here, we'll also know how has the Capitol become what it has become. And I think we should start with Gregory's death."

Hence, the first thing they did when they returned to the office was to listen to Powell's log from that day. It mentioned that he had had a kind of a hunch that there had been more to Gregory's sudden passing but there had been no evidence to indicate foul play. Listening to a few following logs revealed little else.

"I have to admit, Gregory's health wasn't in peak condition," mused Harry. "But did the heart attack occur on its own or did somebody contributed to it? Maybe he knew something about somebody. Maybe he got into an argument with that somebody. And maybe that was exactly what caused his heart to fail prematurely."

Harry proceeded by filtering the logs by their tags. He was looking for mentions of mutiny. There was nothing for first eight years. Then sporadic entries started to crop out. Harry was about to play first one when he decided that he didn't want to skip back and forth. After all, there were logs listed as important before that. He ran another filter first and looked for any mentions of the agent who had arrived with Gregory. His name was Schneider. Harry had never heard about him. According to the logs, he had been released from the confinement several months after the vault had been sealed. Powell talked about the matter in one of his logs.

"I'm not happy about it but the committee believes that he should pull his weight. Moreover, one of our IT technicians is in last month of her pregnancy and needs to be relieved of duty. Schneider has computer skills and though I don't believe that letting him anywhere near our systems is a good idea he shouldn't be able to do much damage since we are assigning him to the lowest possible position."

Further examination led Harry to believe that Schneider had not been bright enough to stage a coop. After all, his stunt at the day minus one had been an action of an idiot. Or had it been? Maybe he had been diverting attention. After listening to more logs, Harry became convinced that Schneider's strings were being pulled by somebody else. Harry also played more logs about the rest of Gregory's group. All of them had successfully integrated into the vault community and there were no mentions of any problems with them. Maybe all of them had been just a diversion. Maybe the real traitor had been inside the vault already.

Another event of interest was a world-wide nuclear exchange which had occurred about a year after sealing the vault. The vault had been equipped with seismographs which had been constructed for detection of nuclear explosions. According to the logs, the exchange lasted for only a day but it destroyed all major cities and military installations. Alas, no bombs fell directly on the vault.

One of later logs said, "Some of people here think that we should send somebody up to scout out the situation, maybe even contact any remnants of the government and military. However, that would mean opening the vault and digging our way to the surface. I'm not willing to do that. Our instructions are not only to stay right here until the fallout decays but also long enough for any survivors up there to try to deal with the situation on their own. I've reminded the committee that it's our children and grandchildren who are supposed to go back up there and build a city, not us. They all agreed with me. However, it was clear to all of us that there are some people here who only now fully comprehend that they will spend the rest of their lives down here."

Harry checked the automatic logs kept by the opening system of the main door. He found out that it had been opened briefly mere twenty years after the nuclear war and then again about a week later. Less than a year later the door had been opened for good and remained that way until Harry closed it again. However, that had been years after Powell had died so Harry decided that it was time to listen to that first log which was supposed to mention Powell's worries of mutiny. It had been recorded more than two years after the nuclear exchange.

"There have been talks among the civilians that our command structure has become obsolete and that we should model our hierarchy after the pre-war world now that the main danger has passed. Instead of having a military administrator who defers to four civilians, we should elect a president (or a mayor) who would be given the superuser access and who would be also a supreme commander of the military. After all, a civilian shouldn't take orders from a military officer because military officers should command only voluntarily drafted soldiers. They all seem to forget that they have all volunteered for this project."

Another log said, "There was yet another regular meeting with the committee of the four. The new member felt the need to react to the talks and express his support to my command."

"Wait, what?" cried Harry out and stopped the playback. He searched back and found out that a member of the committee had died during the nuclear war. Of a heart attack. Harry found that curious. The remaining three members had gone through the procedure of installing a suitable replacement. Harry returned to the previous log.

"The new member felt the need to react to the talks and express his support to my command. He stated that this vault and well being of everyone in it was my responsibility and that I should I keep doing my work till my retirement. He insinuated that we could hold elections afterwards. I hope that was the only reason why his declaration seemed so... artificial."

From some of the following logs it become apparent that several opinion (or even belief) groups had formed after the nuclear war. Powell summarized his findings thusly, "...this concerns mainly the civilians but the fracturation has started to spread among soldiers as well. Some believe that the best course of action is to rejoin the world outside before it becomes too alien and before any children grow up. Others want to expand the vault by excavating deeper and to stay underground for as long as the energy core allows. A few believe that everybody outside is dead and that we are condemned by God to be entombed here for all eternity and to suffer for sins of the mankind. Yet more people believe that they are the chosen ones, destined to lead the humanity into its second phase of existence."

Harry decided to progress more quickly. He filtered the result of the previous filter again, searching for any mentions of heart attacks. Just like he expected, there was another curious case - Powell's second in command. However, Powell had not accepted that it had been a natural death this time. Next log described his reaction to the situation.

"Last night, I've taken a group of medics into the morgue and ordered them to perform an autopsy. They seemed uneasy with my... intensity in the matter. I had to oversee them for the entire time, insisting that they explain everything they do as they go. For first two hours, they kept insisting that there was nothing strange about his passing. I sensed that there was something they weren't saying though. Finally, one of them voiced what the others, including me, were only thinking - the deceased was completely healthy, there was no reason why he would get a heart-attack. The previous case was similar. What a coincidence. Thirty years ago, I would say that he simply suffered from a rare heart condition, unknown to medicine. But since then I've learned about the magical world and their capabilities and I know that there are poisons which can kill somebody in a completely undetectable way. Hell, one does not even have to go that far. We have assimilated enough knowledge from their world to be able to synthesize poisons with similar effects. This supports my belief that none of this is caused by wizards, least of all by Harry Potter. Whatever I may think of him, he would most definitely despise the power hungry bastard who is behind this. Come to think about it, he may not be even operational at this moment. Granger insisted on him going to stasis all along. Maybe they switched, without the permission or knowledge of the high command."

"Wait a minute," demanded Katniss. "He hinted at something like this before but this is first time he said it. What did he mean by that 'magical world'? There was some kind of other world before?"

Harry scratched his ear and answered, "From what I saw, you guys in districts don't know much about the history of the world before the games, let alone the war. Would it mean anything to you if I told you that all wizards decided to go into hiding at the end of seventeenth century?"

Katniss shook hear head. Harry inclined his head in response and turned to the computer again. Powell had made a supplemental log that day.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but remembering Potter gave me the energy I needed to deal with the committee today. It was clear to me that announcing my findings would be idiotic. They would say that that I was paranoid and that the medics merely told me what I wanted to hear. So, I kept my mouth shut."

The log contained a reference to a video recording of a meeting with the civilian committee. Harry played it. There was some organisational stuff at the beginning. Harry fast forwarded. Then the interesting part started:

 _"Colonel Powell," started an elderly woman. "We've heard about an autopsy which was carried under your commands last night."  
Colonel Powell made a slightly irritated face and answered, "Yes, that's correct. I wasn't overtly secretive about it but I didn't mean for it to become public knowledge either. I've thought that everybody involved understood this. May I ask how have you gained this information?"  
"That's inconsequential," retorted another member of the committee. "What we would like to know is why you didn't tell us about your findings? Are we to take it that were none?"  
Powell leaned towards the talker and responded, "You are forgetting yourself, mister. I'm not obliged or supposed to report to you in the matters of vault security. In fact, it would be ill advised in this case."  
"What do you mean by that?"  
"That discussing details of the investigation at this point would either jeopardise it or worry you needlessly."  
"Do we need to remind you that we have been tasked with overseeing your conduct?" exclaimed another member.  
Powell turned to him and retorted, "You have been given power to suspend me should I go insane. Keeping things from you for your own good is not a sign of insanity. Any other usage of your power would be a betrayal of the trust given to you by our democratically elected government. Keep that in mind." _

An argument had broken out afterwards but nothing else of interest was revealed from the recording. Harry looked at the timepiece he had taken in the apartment. He decided that there was enough time to listen to the remaining logs continuously. They were nearing a date from which all logs were supposed to be important anyway.

* * *

According to his logs, Powell attempted to root out the insurgents after the meeting. Spying out on Schneider yielded no results and there were no more heart-attack assassinations. However, Major Hawkins, Powell's new second in command (originally third), started to behave in a peculiar way. He began to be careful about what he ate and he made sure to never be alone, especially with Powell. When confronted, he insinuated that if Powell was right, then somebody was targeting the command structure of the vault. The way he said it betrayed that he suspected Powell himself. Powell made a mistake by reacting in a typical brass way and in front of witnesses.

A month later, another member of the committee died in what looked like an accident. Powell got to the site as soon as he learned about it because he wished to take the hardware key for safe-keeping. He had no idea what was he going to do with it but that question turned irrelevant when he failed to find it. He wasn't very surprised when it managed to make its way to the other three members seemingly on its own. They installed a new member of the committee. The original two members were quite shocked when the new member started his "term" by a speech of support for colonel Powell, openly stating that somebody was carrying out an insurgency against him. And that was the moment when it finally clicked for colonel Powell - he was being set up.

He managed to secure a private meeting with Hawkins. Such a thing wasn't supposed to be difficult but by that time, rumours were already spreading. Hawkins was openly hostile and started the meeting by threats of things to come should something happen to him. This time around, Powell didn't dare to accuse Hawkins of insubordination. He tried to explain to Hawkins what was happening but he failed to convince him. Major even gave Powell an ultimatum - unless the matter got resolved soon, he would bring up official charges against him.

The situation among the vault's residents grew equally bad. The soldiers were split in three groups. One of them was behind Powell while another believed that he was truly attempting to become a dictator. The remaining group was convinced that it was all some kind of a high game and that it would be better not to get involved. The civilians were quite spooked. The freshest member of the committee was supposed to be anti-military and anti-Powell but his actions spoke otherwise. They perceived it as a sign that Powell was essentially omnipotent and it fuelled their mistrust of the military personnel.

Fortunately, Powell managed to secretly gather a group of three friends who believed him and who had his trust - two soldiers and a main-frame technician. They all agreed that whoever was behind the recent events had to be prevented from gaining complete control over the vault. Unfortunately, that required destroying at least one of the hardware keys. The only other option was to lock out the vault from the core completely - which was equal to crippling the vault.

Powell approached discreetly one of the two remaining original members of the committee - an old lady who had inquired about the autopsy of Powell's second in command. She wasn't happy to see him but she heard him out. However, even after laying out all the facts and signs, she was unwilling to believe him. Powell told her that if the rumours were true, he would simply ask one of the new members of the committee for help.

In the end, they agreed on a compromise. She wouldn't let him destroy the key but she would hide it in a safe place and she would store that information on her PDA. Then they would make it look like she was secretly cooperating with him. They were betting that the conspirators, if there were any, would want to know how was she helping Powell. She prepared her PDA so she would be able to delete the file about the hardware key by pressing a single button or a voice command.

The plan went exactly as they intended - unfortunately for the old lady. She was found dead in her quarters and the key was gone. That finally spurred the conspirators into an open action. With the blessing of the two new members of the committee, Major Hawkins declared that Powell was the main suspect and ordered his arrest. Secretly, he sent Schneider to kill Powell. Obviously, Gregory's group had been only a distraction - the real conspirators had been inside the vault since the beginning.

There was a fire fight as Powell and one of his friends retreated to the core area. Fortunately, the technician and the other soldier had secured it already and were able to aid them by locking or unlocking the right doors. Nonetheless, the soldier covering Powell was gunned down and Powell himself was wounded. On a bright note, Schneider died by Powell's hand.

Once inside the core area, Powell and the technician finalized their plan. A lesser man would blow the vault up but Powell didn't wish to destroy the people who had turned against him. To ensure well being of the inhabitants, they activated a virtual intelligence agent which acted as a sort of a stand-in administrator. It was capable of several basic tasks required for smooth operation of the vault (such as monitoring the singularity core).

Powell deceased shortly afterwards. The technician and the soldier remained on vigil for some time, in case Hawkins attempted something unexpected or found the lost hardware key. They had access to running water but their food supply was thinning. In the end, they chose bullet over starvation.

* * *

"Well, that's it," said Harry when the technician's last log ended. "I've thought that Powell maybe left some other message for me but I guess his letter was it."

"And what happened next?"

"I guess Hawkins's official logs are a bunch of swivel and he didn't keep any personal ones. We can take guesses based on certain vault records though."

Harry browsed the logs for a moment. Soon, he started commenting on what he saw, "The last remaining member of the committee died some time after Hawkins's coup. I guess that some people started to realize that they had been deceived. There aren't any mentions of insurgency so I guess Hawkins had it all firmly in his hands. A president was elected a year later. I guess he was just Hawkins's puppet."

They skipped to the time when the main gate had been opened - prematurely. There had been almost no radiation in most of the area by that time and scouts had reported groups of survivors. After months of preparation and training, the vault-dwellers had emerged from underground. They had rooted out any gangs and wannabe chieftains mercilessly and started to herd the survivors. They also discovered that the bunker under District 13 (not that it was called that way back then) survived and they took control over it. There were no more logs after that but Harry could guess how it continued.

"I guess that once your ancestors realized what was happening, they started to resist," he theorized. "This culminated almost a century ago when conspirators from thirteen started a war. Something tells me that some of the Capitol personnel from the nuclear base were behind it. While the Capitol was busy with the rebels, the real conspirators took control over the base and struck a deal. Of course, the Capitol made it look like Panem was around forever."

"Which leaves us where, exactly?" asked Katniss.

"The Capitol and the districts poised to attack each other. Theory of collapses of civilizations say that a single spark can cause disproportional effects. When that happens, District 13 will be in a perfect position to finish the job. The question is, what should we do to prevent this? Should we prevent it? What if Snow decides to use nuclear weapons if do nothing? What if the guys from thirteen decide to do it?"

"You are forgetting something. Are we able to do anything at all?"

Harry looked at Katniss as if to say, "How can you doubt me still?" He asked her to follow him.


	6. Plans

Plans

 _ **AN:** At the moment of writing this, I've taken only a couple of lessons in civilian Krav Maga. I apologize to anybody with greater experience for my ineptitude when depicting certain things in this chapter. Alas, do read carefully and you'll notice that any discrepancies are actually logically explained (or rather excused) in the story. _

"Tell me, Katniss, why do you think I've wanted you to accompany me?" asked Harry on their way to the main computer.

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to make you a believer."

Katniss stopped walking and stared at the floor for a moment. She remembered all the events which led her to that point. "You've been manipulating me," she accused him in the end.

"Welcome to the club," replied Harry and grinned.

They started to walk again and Harry added, "By the way, I'm still manipulating you. Right now, I'm playing on your love for Prim. You wish for her to live in a world without the games and now that you've seen that I posses the ability to stop them, you can't turn me down."

"And how do you propose to do that?"

"What? Play on your love to Prim?"

"To stop the Hunger Games!"

"Well, Powell gave us all we need for that. But we can't just stop at that, as I'll explain later. A social disruption of such a magnitude might throw this nation into chaos. I most certainly don't want it to became the way it was right after the World War III. And that, Katniss, is where I will need your help. Yours, Rue's, and Tresh's. And everybody else's who's willing to join in."

Once again, Katniss wasn't sure what was Harry talking about. She opted not to enquire right away though because they reached the main computer hall.

They went through the security process. Harry wondered whether it was the VI which had disconnected the damaged voice recognition. He checked on it as soon as he logged in. He feared that it would try to do something foolish since it was tasked with taking care of the vault-dwellers and Harry's actions went in the opposite direction. Fortunately, the VI did not recognize the Capitol personnel as its subjects. For contingency reasons, Harry added a few rules concerning himself and Katniss (the agent was written and run in a dynamic virtual platform which, like Squeak, allowed for editing in run-time).

"How do you plan to stop the games?" asked Katniss.

"Well, we do know when they start."

"Do we?"

"Yes, I asked Effie. Now, all I have to do is to set the timer right..."

"What timer?"

Harry stroked his chin, contemplating how much should he tell. In the end, he asked, "Do you know what a singularity is?"

Katniss shook her head slowly.

"Then I won't go into details. Just trust me that everything we need is right here." Harry stroked the keyboard. "Powell died to secure this for us and I intend to use it."

That was a lie. Powell would have probably disagreed with his plan. Katniss sat on the floor and watched Harry as he worked on the computer terminal. Unbeknownst to her, Harry opened controls of the singularity core. He ran some simulations and started to prepare a timed change of parameters (set to coincide precisely with the beginning of the games).

"Where have you learned it all?" asked Katniss.

"Learned what?"

"This," clarified Katniss and waved her hand at the machinery around.

Harry laughed through his nose, shook his head, and answered, "I'm no IT guy. When I was little, I didn't exactly have good conditions for learning. And when I was eleven, I left to study magic and didn't continue my normal education, unlike Hermione. So believe me when I tell you that a piece of GAS or C code wouldn't make any more sense to me than it would to you. However, this is an entirely different level. You just enter some parameters and the system automatically creates the software you need. If you can still call it that way. It's more like data which run on data which run on a virtual machine which runs on a software which runs on an OS which..." Harry fell silent when he saw that he lost Katniss again.

"Who's Hermione?" she asked, not bothering to process what Harry said.

"Hermione Granger," complemented Harry.

"I see. The one Powell mentioned. Why did he expect her to come here instead of you? What did he mean when he said that you switched?"

Harry stopped working for a moment and thought about his answer. "She was a part of this." He gestured around. "She was supposed to be put into stasis and buried so she would be able to check on this vault later. Only, she was afraid of what she might find in the future so she asked me to go to sleep instead of her."

"Was she... special to you?"

"No. Not in the way you think. She used to be my best friend, almost like a sister. Then we joined the British military at first and the American one later and each time, we had to professionalize our relationship more and more."

Katniss remained silent for a minute or two, letting Harry work, and then asked another question, "You've mentioned Rue, the District 11 tribute, and you've behaved funny around her. How does she fit into all this?"

"Well, to put it simply, she's like me."

"Excuse me?"

"She's a witch. She was as surprised as I was when we found out."

Katniss didn't understand him. "When? You've never talked to her!"

"Oh, but I have. Telepathically."

"What is that?"

"We talked through our minds. Silently. Nobody around could hear us. It was quite novel for her. Fortunately, she didn't freak out."

Katniss needed a while to process that.

"What do you intend to do with her?" she asked.

"Well, once my obligations to you are fulfilled, I'll train her in the arts of magic. That being said, I'm afraid I'll be going back on my promise to you a little. Your survival is no longer a priority - she needs to survive more than you do. Pardon my bluntness."

Katniss made no response. After all, how could she argue with that?

A few keystrokes later, Harry's work was done. He logged off, powered the terminal down and shoved the keyboard back into the wall. He turned to Katniss, clasped his hands, and stated, "Well, that's it. We have won our war against the Capitol before it even began."

"Excuse me?"

"Yes, it's rather anticlimactic, I know. But what did you expect? A gruelling Kung-fu fight between me and President Snow on the roof of the training centre? At the end of which I would throw him over the railing and he would fall down down screaming something like this: "Aaaaaargh! I'll be back and I shall have my revenge! The galaxy will be mine yet!" I don't think that he would be up to that. Not to mention that there's an energy barrier around the roof. But like I've said, our work is far from over. In fact, the more difficult half is yet ahead of us."

They left the main computer room and went to the makeshift mess hall. Harry found two dusty cups which they cleaned and filled in the bathroom.

"So, what's our plan for tomorrow?" asked Katniss when they sat down.

"The first step is to gain everybody's attention. We'll do that by bringing Tresh into the fold and forming an alliance. We'll also show our skills so everyone will know to take us seriously."

"But that's going to give away our advantage."

"A time will come when you'll need people to trust you. And they won't trust you unless they have healthy respect for your marksmanship. Also, even if they see you shoot a few arrows and even if I show them some brawl, they will still have no idea what are we truly packing."

"Magic," uttered Katniss, still having troubles coming to terms with the idea.

"Well, I was thinking more about my military training. It's important to keep my magic a secret. Of course, with the exception of you, Rue, and possibly her family."

Katniss leaned her elbows on the table and asked, "Why do we need to get everybody's attention?"

"Because it's a step-stone for getting twelve points on evaluation and that's a step-stone for getting the attention of the audience during the final interviews."

"So we could get sponsors?"

"That's what Snow and the game makers are going to think. However, we are actually going to talk to the districts. Do you know why?"

"So they would get to know us and trust us so we could prevent... chaos? What exactly is that computer going to do when the games start? And don't ask me if I know what a singularity is."

Harry signed. "Katniss, the less you know, the better for both of us. But I'm not going to lie to you - it's not going to be pretty. But what's more important, it's going to destroy the illusion of the Capitol's indomitability. Now follow me, I need to check something out."

They went to yet another computer room. However, the machines there looked different. There was also a middle sized cabinet in a corner. It was metallic, robust, and had a combination lock.

"The central computer contains a large multi-medial database containing all sorts of pre-war information," explained Harry as he turned one of the reader stations on. "There are two large study-rooms in the outer vault. This room is not as well equipped as those but it's still good enough for, let's say, technicians to read manuals."

"Why are we here?"

"Well, I'm curious about your archery."

Harry entered a query and showed Katniss some photos.

"This is what I imagine when I say a professional archer," he said.

Katniss stared at pictures of sportsmen in white outfits holding strangely looking bows and standing in ridiculous postures when shooting. Most of them nocked their arrows on the opposite side of a bow which was a little bit slower. However, that was a matter of preference and eye dominance. Katniss was so used to her way that she actually never placed her arrows on the left side, not even when she didn't need to shoot quickly. Gale preferred placing an arrow on the left side though. Katniss's father had been able to shoot in all possible ways, depending on the situation.

"Now give me a moment to look up how it was done before crossbows and muskets came," continued Harry.

After some research, they found out that various cultures used bows in various ways, depending on their needs. Open plains were good for using a quiver while rocky terrains and woods were not.

"I have to admit that the way your father taught you has some merit," commented Harry.

"Well, you find these things kind of obvious when you get hungry enough."

"My point is that you are the best archer to ever enter the games. Have you practised like I told you?"

"A little."

"Well, you still have time to improve. However, we'll need to practice other things too."

Harry left Katniss to browse information about archery and examined the cabinet in the corner. He looked up the combination of its lock on the network and opened the cabinet. It was full of books sealed in vacuum plastic bags. Anybody could print anything from the database but all the printers in the room were out of order.

Katniss turned away from the console and saw what was Harry doing. She asked him what did he find but Harry wasn't reacting. He was holding one of the books and studying its cover. Katniss walked closer. It was titled "Transportation in a Post-apocalyptic World". There was a criss-cross of lines in the background. It looked like some kind of a technical blueprint but it didn't say anything at all to Katniss. She had a feeling that Harry knew what it was.

"I'm sorry," he said, finally noticing Katniss. "It's a bunch of manuals for all sorts of things. The central computer was supposed to hold all necessary information and I bet that the entire database has been downloaded into some archive up in the city but Hermione felt that it was a good idea to place a cabinet full of normal books here. I've never really bothered to check her selection."

"Are we taking them with us?" asked Katniss. She knew that it was a stupid question but Harry surprised her.

"Yes, of course," he answered. "Well, not exactly with us. I'll lock it again and send it to a safe location."

Katniss didn't even bother to ask for details.

Their business in the vault done, they started to prepare for return. They cleaned up as well as they could and discarded anything they had not had with them when they had departed from the training centre.

Harry asked Katniss to wait for him in the mess hall and went to retrieve two emergency Portkey bases. That was an item which wasn't an actual Portkey but it was specially prepared for being turned into one. Harry and Hermione had created a couple of them when they had been raising the anti-teleportation ward. Thanks to that, the items were attuned to the ward and while it was still impossible to teleport inside the vault from outside, a Portkey created from those items made it possible to transport from the core area out.

Harry also decided to use the remaining time to conceal the Time-Turner inside a small (smaller than the Time-Turner) locket/disk. It appeared to be solid but there was actually a cavity inside.

When Harry returned to Katniss, he decided to practice shooting with her. He started with a little instruction.

"Shooting handguns is mostly about muscle control," he explained. "You need to be able to move certain ones while keeping the rest completely locked. You know how there are people who can move their ears, scalp, or nose?"

"Yes?" confirmed Katniss, not understanding how it was relevant.

"Well, this is similar. Can you do this?"

Harry raised his hand and gave her a Vulcan greeting. Katniss narrowed her eyes, once again not understanding how it was helpful. She raised her hand and repeated Harry's gesture after a few tries.

"Wow," commented Harry. He had meant his request as a joke partially. Then again, Katniss's control over her fingers wasn't so surprising. She was able to pull a bow while holding additional arrows between her fingers.

"The trick is being able to pull the trigger without moving the gun itself," continued Harry. "Well, I'll let you try it. You'll understand."

He gave her his Glock and told her to dry-fire it several times. Then he let her to fire a few rounds. She didn't do too well.

"They say that when it comes to muscle memory, you need to repeat a certain move eight thousand times before it becomes automatic," told her Harry. "Unfortunately, we don't have time for that."

He put the Glock aside and explained how the Peacekeeper side-arms were operated. They were new for him as well so he himself needed some practice.

There was one thing he found peculiar about the gun: There was no slide stop lever, the mechanism was completely internal. A slide locked in rear position could be released by simply pulling the trigger a little (or the standard way). Of course, not even pulling the trigger back completely fired the gun - another pull was required for that. Harry wasn't sure if such a feature was smart but he certainly found it interesting. On the downside, it wasn't possible to lock the slide in the rear position manually.

When they were done, Harry placed the weapons, ammo, and several more items in the book cabinet. He locked it and sent it away with a Portkey.

Harry checked the timepiece he had taken in the apartment and told his companion, "The time when we have disappeared from the roof is coming. We'll have to time this perfectly so any inconsistencies would look like camera glitches caused by the electrical interference from the forcefield."

"But how do you know exactly when it was?" asked Katniss and eyed the magical hourglass.

Harry followed her gaze, lifted the hourglass by its chain, and said, "It won't start recharging until we reach the moment of departure, if that's what are you looking for. And that moment didn't come until some time after we left the roof. However, I checked the time before we left the dining room and I have pretty good sense of time."

Harry took the chain off and hid the item in his pocket. He proceeded to explain how a Portkey differed from apparation. "Don't try to keep your footing," he advised. "It's impossible and, in our case, unwise. Remember that we were falling down. We should mimic it now."

They assumed positions. With one last warning, Harry activated the Portkey. Katniss found the trip rougher than the previous one but it was less nauseating. They emerged on the roof and for a moment, Katniss thought that she glimpsed their past selves under them. They fell on the soft grass under the bushes. A shower of gravel fell on their backs.

"Whoa," exclaimed Harry as he was standing up. "It seems that whatever you throw at it rebounds with the same force."

Katniss didn't reply immediately. Harry worried for a moment that Katniss wouldn't be able to keep the act up. Then she spoke, "Well, we shouldn't be playing with it. I'm getting tired anyway."

Harry dully seconded the idea. When they returned down, Avoxes were almost finished with the clean up. Katniss poured herself a glass of water with lemon. Then what Harry had prevented five hours (or ten minutes) ago happened nonetheless. Katniss came face to face with the girl who had been captured before her eyes years ago. Alas, that was in another lifetime. Katniss found the Avox familiar but she couldn't place her.

"Goodnight, Katniss," said Harry, interrupting her musing.

Katniss looked away from the Avox, bade Harry a goodnight as well, and retired. She shed her fancy clothes, hoping that the laundry wasn't sophisticated enough to detect that they were inexplicably grimy, and stepped into a shower. She was dead on her feet but she knew that she wouldn't be able to fall asleep for as long as her past self existed. Somebody else would pretend that the moment of divergence from the "normal" time-line was their disappearance from the roof but Katniss was way too smart for that.

She tinkered with the buttons until she found a moderately-strong massage program and let the warm water knead the accumulated tension out of her. Strangely enough, she didn't fell like collapsing or crying despite the fact that they had been in danger of getting captured. Maybe she was still overwhelmed by the wonders that she had seen or maybe she was drawing strength from Powell's story.

Finally, she remembered where had she seen the Avox girl. She didn't realize that it had been Harry who had kept her from noticing sooner. She turned the shower off and checked the time. The moment of the departure of her other version was near. She climbed in the bed and fell asleep soon. She dreamt about the day in the woods when the Capitol girl was captured and her companion killed. Only this time around, Gale wasn't there and she herself was actually Hermione. The dream ended anti-climatically: She simply disrupted the electronic systems of the hovercraft and it fell down.

* * *

Katniss was virtually impossible to wake up next morning but Harry asked Effie not to give up so Katniss would be able to get at least some breakfast before training. When she did finally untangle herself from the sheets, she felt groggy, like coming out of hibernation. Harry was talking to Haymitch, probably about his parade stunt. Katniss couldn't focus on what was being said though. The parade seemed like ages ago to her anyway. Unlike her, Harry seemed to be in chirpy mood and that made her want to punch him.

"Finally up, sunshine!" he rejoiced. As if the previous day had not happened.

Katniss sat down and let Harry pour her a cup of black tea with honey and milk. Haymitch grumbled something, stood up, and huffed away. Katniss locked eyes with Harry and he gave her a wink. Maybe it was a reassurance that their trip under Snow's mansion really happened. Maybe it was a promise of adventures to come.

The breakfast turned to be quite a dilemma. One one hand, she wanted to have enough energy for first day of training. On the other hand, stuffed stomach wasn't advisable.

"I hope I don't have to tell you that next few hours will be important, Katniss," said Harry between bites. "First impression is critical and we want to make the best one possible on our new allies, Thresh especially."

"He'll never trust us," argued Katniss.

"Well, we'll have to appeal on his kind heart."

"Excuse me?"

"He might have a soft spot for Rue. Not as soft as yours for Prim but still soft enough, I hope."

"He was keeping the same distance from her as anybody else from their counterparts," opposed Katniss.

Harry nodded and theorised, "I think he's afraid of being taken advantage of. By Rue, I mean."

"How would she do that?"

"Well, forming an alliance with him, using him as a protection in the early stages of the games, than killing him in his sleep."

"That's awful!"

"Well, it happened before."

"So, back to the original question," said Katniss. "How are we going to make him trust us?"

Harry thought about it. "Well, I could convince him that I share a common sentiment with him," he theorized.

"And that is?"

"Why spend the games like a hunted prey, when you can spend them like a human being?"

They sat in silence for a moment.

"Honestly, I don't know how to make him trust us," he elaborated. "All I can do is try and hope that his hunch will tell him the right thing. Then again, maybe Rue will have some bright ideas how to make it work."

They finished their meals and rested till quarter to ten to let the food settle.

"Effie? Could we go down sooner?" asked Harry their chaperone. "We would like to approach Rue and Thresh before the training starts."

Effie was prepared already so they went straight to the lift.

"Is Haymitch going to talk to their mentors?" she asked during the ride.

"No, I would prefer to make the deal with Rue and Thresh themselves," refused Harry. "However, you can talk to the mentors if you wish."

They reached their destination. Almost all Career Tributes were already there. The lower districts were trickling slowly in as well. Harry's and Katniss's entrance gained attention of the Careers. While Katniss ignored them, Harry returned their stares and eventually settled on Cato, whom he believed to be their ring leader.

The eye contact seemed to spurn Cato. He motioned to his merry band and they repositioned themselves a little. They didn't actually approach Harry and Katniss but they put themselves in their path. Maybe Cato expected that they would veer off. Alas, Harry continued straight ahead.

"Up and running already?" called Harry at Cato and his cohorts. Cato sneered in contempt. The others gave Cato a second or two to answer but he did not. Instead, Harry continued, "You know what they say - the early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese!"

That perplexed the tributes from districts one and two because they had never heard such a saying. Katniss vaguely understood what it meant but she wasn't sure whether it applied in their current situation. Harry bowed lightly towards Clove and Glimmer, turned around and headed away. Cato and Marvel didn't follow, they just snorted and exchanged a few remarks about Harry being pathetic.

"What was that about?" wondered Katniss when they were out of their hearing range.

"I wanted to get a feeling of them, of what are they planning," replied Harry.

"And?" asked Katniss, who understood that he probably read Cato's mind.

"Well, anyone can see that they have arrived early so they could observe their competition as they arrive. And I have a hunch that they are considering inviting Thresh to join them."

"That's kind of obvious. He's the biggest of us."

They spent several minutes doing the same as the Careers - observing the arriving tributes. Harry would love to head straight for knives and bows and start showing off. It was something that no one had attempted yet because the training session had not started yet. Alas, they needed to wait for Rue and Thresh.

The tributes from eleven arrived five minutes before ten o'clock. Harry and Rue made an eye connection immediately. Thresh wasn't going to talk about what had happened during the parade. That was good, with all the microphones around. Not that Snow didn't have much greater things to worry about (the vault going into lock-down suddenly).

"Good morning," greeted them Harry. Katniss and Rue echoed him.

"What do you want?" growled Thresh.

"I think you should know that the Careers want to recruit you," informed him Harry causally. "Probably not right away though. They'll wait till you show what you've got and play hard to get first. I should warn you though." Harry leaned towards Thresh and finished, "They are kind of assholes."

Both Harry and Rue laughed at the poor joke.

"And how exactly have you figured it out?" asked Rue. "Don't tell me that you guys actually had to talk to them to realize that." She turned to Katniss at the end of the last sentence.

Katniss cleared her throat and answered dryly, "You could say that he has. It looked more like making a fool of himself to me."

She didn't let anything to show on her face but inside, she was jealous of the little girl. Katniss couldn't believe that Rue was taking everything in stride and so easily. She guessed it had something to do with being magical.

"Excuse me," protested Harry. "What have they learned about us? Nothing. What have we learned about them? Almost everything. And that's what counts."

It still wasn't ten but a trainer arrived already. All tributes were present so it seemed that she was going to begin instruction.

"Well, let's talk about it during lunch," proposed Harry. "Of course, you are welcome to join us for the morning."

"That would be nice," chimed Rue.

Thresh wanted to protest but all tributes were headed towards the instructor anyway.

After the instruction, Harry raised his hand and asked, "Excuse me. We can't fight each other, not even for practice. But that doesn't mean we can't assist each other during the training in other ways." It was actually a statement, not a question.

If the instructor was surprised by the question, she didn't show it. She clarified where the boundary between a mock-fight and assistance was.

When the gathering dispersed, the Careers decided to stick together. Their first stop was sword-fighting, even though that was mainly Cato's ante. Harry, Rue, and Katniss headed towards a knife throwing station. Thresh didn't join them.

Harry ignored a trainer standing by, picked a knife from a stand, and threw it at a nearest target. At the same time, he picked another knife by his left hand and threw again, this time with a turn. Two knives later, most of the Careers were watching him. He took two knives, crossed his arms and threw them both at two different targets at the same time. Both knives hit with almost perfect precision.

"You want to try it?" asked Harry Rue, handing her the only remaining knife from the stand.

She aimed carefully and swung her arm. The knife was much heavier on the blade side so it was nearly impossible for it to arrive handle first. It pricked the target with its tip but outside of the circles and it fell out after a few moments to boot.

"Nice," approved Harry. "Too much arm and too little wrist though."

He rubbed his hands together and proposed, "Have you said that you wanted to try a bow, Katniss?"

Katniss gave him one last questioning look and Harry nodded. Still being watched by Careers (and most of the other tributes as well), they arrived to the bows. Katniss stretched her limbs and selected a wooden bow. A trainer observed them.

"Careful, you are not used to it," reminded her Harry. He meant that the particular bow was different from the one made by her father but any outside eavesdropper would understand that he meant bows in general. "Test how it draws before you nock an arrow."

Katniss drew the bow a few times, releasing it on empty. She hit a target with first arrow but her aim was off. Next shot was better and third one was almost at the centre. She made sure not to do anything advanced, seemingly doing everything right because it felt natural to her.

"That's what I call a quick learner!" laughed Harry. "You're natural!"

Katniss ignored his sarcastic remark. She shoulder-rolled forward and hit a dummy in a neighbouring station. That was the moment when a trainer stepped forward and told Katniss that such a thing was against safety protocols. The trio left afterwards. The Careers observed Katniss jealously, already planning to never let her near a bow. Of course, the Gamemakers were quite interested as well.

"So, where to next?" asked Harry.

Rue pointed at a monkey course.

"Nice. A workout."

They had a little warm-up exercise first during which their audience thinned again. The Careers were probably convinced that there were no more tricks to be shown. On the other hand, Thresh was nearby by the time. He stopped what he was doing and observed.

The obstacle course was wide enough only for two people so Harry said, "I'll give you two a five seconds head-start."

"Why don't I give you two a head-start?" protested Rue.

"Because you would have to go around us when you would catch up."

A trainer counted to three and Rue and Katniss shot off. It became clear to Harry soon enough why had Rue chosen that specific station - height was no advantage there. That was all-right with Harry. He followed the girls when the trainer waved at him five seconds later. Rue arrived to the finish first, Katniss second, and Harry a few seconds later.

"Well, you showed us, Rue!" praised Harry. "I wasn't expecting that. No, wait a minute, I was actually!"

Harry noticed that Thresh was still watching. "OK, fun's over. Let's focus on the most vital skill you might need: unarmed combat. And we can stop by Thresh's station on the way." Only then he realized his slip - he said "OK".

When they were passing him, Harry split off while Rue and Katniss waited.

"What are you doing?" growled Thresh.

"Feeling protective of your little friend?" asked Harry. "Good. That means you are a human being. Unlike some of those." He nodded with his head towards the spear throwing station where the Careers were located.

"Look, I'll make you a proposition," continued Harry. "You are big and strong but I would be willing to bet that your technique sucks. We are headed to the hand-to-hand combat area now. If you join us, I'll make it worth your while."

"And what makes you think that you can teach me anything?" sneered Thresh. However, he doubted his own words as soon as he said them.

Harry stroked his chin and said, "I'll make you an offer. I'll challenge the instructor and if I convince you, you'll not only let me to improve your technique but you will stay with us for the rest of the morning. And you will sit with us during the lunch and hear what we have to say."

Thresh already suspected that he was setting himself up but he nodded anyway.

There were three lower-district tributes, training on boxing sand bags. A young trainer was tending to them, giving the pointers about stances.

"Excuse me," addressed him Harry. "Would you mind?"

"Excuse me?" parroted the trainer after him.

"I would like a few rounds with you," clarified Harry. "I'll help you afterwards to make up for your time."

"I'm not sure..." started the trainer. His voice betrayed that he wasn't sure whether he was unsure.

A senior instructor arrived at that moment and interrupted him, "I'll accommodate mister Potter. Carry on."

The young trainer returned to his charges while the older one motioned to Harry.

"I'll let you warm up first," offered Harry. He wondered where the other instructor came from.

"No need," retorted the instructor. "I already have."

They entered the ring. Harry noticed that almost all the present Gamemakers were observing them. He bowed a little and assumed a passive stance. He decided not to unleash his full martial training on his opponent right from the beginning, if ever, and rather make mock-show of gradually improving during the fight.

Both of them moved forward. Harry raised his hands and left his right foot behind, seemingly not on purpose. The instructor attacked first with a sharp jab and Harry evaded it like an inexperienced fighter would. He outright "backed away" from next punch which looked rather ridiculous and made some people in the audience snort. The instructor decided to end the charade and attacked with a straight punch. Harry redirected the punch with his left hand and moved his body to his left slightly. When the instructor realized that he was open to an attack, Harry's right palm was already connecting with his face.

"Are you all right?" heard the instructor when his vision cleared.

"I'm not going to help you stand up," continued Harry. "That would be like inviting a sucker punch. By the way, I think you've forgotten to put your head protection on."

The instructor stood up and took a sparring helmet which the younger instructor handed him.

"I'll give you a moment to collect yourself," told him Harry. "Some additional warming-up wouldn't be a bad idea either."

Without saying a word, the instructor took the offer. After a minute of stretching, he assumed a combat posture again.

Harry chose a different approach this time around. It became obvious quickly that despite his height (the instructor was about five inches taller), he was physically superior in all ways - he was stronger, faster, and had more stamina. What wasn't immediately apparent was his superiority in training and experiences.

The instructor found himself in defensive and something was telling him that Harry was able to bypass those defences any time he wanted. Once again, Harry's group drew attention of the entire room. It even intensified when Harry pointed at the younger trainer and motioned for him to join them. The young man, who was as captivated as everybody else, entered the ring without even thinking about refusing. Cato watched with pure hatred in his eyes.

Harry let his opponents to keep the initiative for a moment before he brought his fighting to a whole new level. He wondered what the Gamemakers were going to make of his apparent mastership (at least by the standards of his current circumstances). The ironic thing was, he still wasn't performing at his full potential. Moreover, he could boost his reflexes with magic but he decided not to.

They tried to come at him from two sides. Harry pretended an attack with his left hand at the younger instructor. He deflected it and Harry ran splayed fingers of his right hand over the instructor's facial shield. The instructor had nothing to fear but he couldn't suppress his instinctive reaction and closed his eyes momentarily. Harry grabbed his shoulder and drove his knee into his belly. He himself advanced around him and shoved him aside. The other instructor wanted to intervene but the whole manoeuvre took only a second and Harry finished it facing him.

Harry unleashed a string of attacks at the older instructor. A kick (with an advance), palm strike in his face-shield, and a few hammers.

"Enough, I yield," cried the instructor out. "If I wasn't wearing protective gear, I would have been out cold already."

"Thank you," said Harry. "It was a good fight." He offered the instructor a handshake, which was accepted.

Rue started to clap enthusiastically. Katniss didn't know whether the little girl was merely pretending or whether the exhibition truly impressed her. After what she had seen, Harry's last show-off was exactly that - a show-off. Still, she joined the clapping, albeit in a rather bored pace.

"That was something," commended the young instructor. He didn't mention the fact that Harry had arrived to the Capitol with that skill. That would invite a few counter-remarks about the Careers.

Harry smiled at the man and it didn't matter to him in a slightest that he was most probably going to die soon. Several younger tributes joined in the clapping by that time. Before it could spread any further, Harry joined his friends and told them that it was time to get to work.

Harry focussed on Katniss first. After he saw her punch a sandbag a few times, he told her, "You are skinny so your arms alone won't do the job. You need to put your whole body into it. It's three different motions: your arm, your torso, and your legs."

He demonstrated and asked Katniss to repeat it. When she failed to do so, he raised his hands to grab her hips, then changed his mind and turned to Rue.

"I need your help, Rue," he told her. "Do you understand what Katniss needs to do?"

Rue nodded.

"Then help her, please," he requested. "I'll work with Thresh in the meantime. As for yourself, we'll focus on evasion."

While Rue was assisting Katniss, Harry and Thresh went to a boxing ball.

"I think I already know your weaknesses but I'll let you to prove me wrong," opened Harry. "Go on, give it a few hits. As if you were in a real fight."

After a brief hesitation, Thresh did as he was asked.

"Well, it's exactly as I thought," commented Harry after a few punches. "You are slow and you are leaving yourself wide open when you attack."

"Slow?!" protested Thresh.

"Your fist has a high velocity when it hits the target, I don't deny that. The problem is that it takes you about a second to bring it to that speed. By that time, the target will be elsewhere. Make no mistake, if you fought Cato, he would kill you. Unfortunately, I can't practice with you directly. The best I can do is to give you a few pointers while you pummel the hell out of this thing."

Ten minutes later, they returned to check on Rue and Katniss.

"Training you will be difficult, Rue," observed Harry. "How am I supposed to practice evasion with you when I am forbidden to spar with you?"

The trainer was nearby at the moment. He overheard them and offered, "I'll help you. Later, when it's your turn."

"Thank you, that would be splendid," replied Harry, giving the trainer a nod.

They remained at the station for next hour. As promised, Harry offered his assistance to younger tributes but only a few accepted. Afterwards, they decided to switch to something lighter to cool down before lunch. Rue picked a plant recognition station and the others followed her there. Unsurprisingly, Rue excelled at that. What was surprising was the fact that Thresh was just as good as Katniss.

They ate a lunch together, as planned. Harry tried to invite a few eleven and twelve year old tributes from lower districts to join them but they refused out of fear of attracting attention of tributes from district 1, 2, and 4 who were all seated at a table at the opposite side of the mess hall and who observed Harry's quartet during the meal. Harry had to remind Rue not to get too stuffed, the afternoon session was still in front of them.

"Very well, let's put the cards on the table, shall we?" started Harry.

"What?" asked Thresh and Katniss.

"He means to speak openly," explained Rue.

"Well, since we are talking openly, maybe we shouldn't attract attention to ourselves so much," accused Katniss.

"Like I've said, we need high scores."

"I think you've already gained a score high enough by now. If you press it any further, you might irk the Gamemakers."

"That's not how Seneca Crane operates," answered Harry and folded his hands under his chin. "He's new to this but I've made out a pattern from last two years. He's a showman - his main strength is in captivating his audience. It would be foolish of him to interfere in what we do because between the four us, we can give him the best show ever."

"Hold on!" protested Thresh. "I'm not with you!"

Harry unfolded his hands, pointed at Thresh with his index finger and responded, "And that finally gets us to the part where we lay our metaphorical cards down. Tell me this, Thresh, what kind of welcome would you get back at home if you killed Rue?"

"I wouldn't do such a thing," retorted Thresh sternly. He made sure not to respond too strongly. He still suspected that Rue would take advantage of that.

"You would be considered a pariah, that's what would happen," answered Harry his own question. "And the same logic extends to any action of yours which would compromise Rue's safety. In other words, you mess with Katniss or me, you mess with Rue. Now, if you don't wish to join our alliance, that's your choice. But the least we can do is to negotiate some kind of détente."

"What?" asked Thresh.

"We won't attack each other," explained Rue. "Of course, joining the Careers is out of the question as well."

"Alas, you might reconsider your decision to stay alone," said Harry in languish tone. "The thing is, these games won't be won by a male tribute. So, both of us can forget about winning this, Thresh."

"And where did you get that?" snapped Thresh.

"Haven't you noticed last year? The Gamemakers were trying to rig the game so a girl would win. However, they lost control of the situation at one point and all the remaining female tributes were killed off. They stopped interfering afterwards and allowed the surviving males to have it between them."

"But the games before that were won by a girl," reminded him Katniss.

"Yes, Johanna Mason," confirmed Harry. "Haymitch actually mentioned her when I talked to him a few months ago. He was quite drunk, he wouldn't have talked about it otherwise. He insinuated that she had refused to play her role of a victor and had ended up just like him because of that."

"Like what?" asked Thresh.

"There are some things which shouldn't be talked about in here," replied Harry mysteriously.

Thresh wanted to inquire further but Rue spoke out, "I've just remembered something. All those hidden cameras that record us, are they in bathrooms too? Because it would be weird if somebody watched me when I pee."

Harry laughed and replied, "If you win these games, a recording of you peeing would be worth its weight in gold. I mean, a digital recording doesn't weigh anything but I guess you know what I mean. Anyway, let's not get sidetracked. The games before were won by Annie Cresta. She actually went mad and is unusable as a victor. And that leads us to Finnick Odair. He is a perfect victor but also a man, unfortunately. All in all, the demographic of the victor population shows a troubling deficit of eligible women. And that is the reason why Thresh and me have no chance of winning this thing. On a bright side, the same applies for Cato."

"So, who's going to win?" asked Rue. Of course, she already knew that all three of them were going to survive.

"Well, both Glimmer and Marvel are showing promise of being perfect victors. They are laying it way too heavy, I think, but the Gamemakers are desperate enough to let Glimmer win if there are no other adepts. However, I think they are rooting for Clove. She has it all - a dexterous fighter on one hand and a chirpy little minx on the other. Not only would she make a nice victor but her victory would also look natural and deserved."

"What do you propose we do?" asked Katniss. She knew what was going to happen but she played along like Rue.

"We can support the Gamemakers and help them ensure that Clove survives. Any number of dramatic scenarios can be built on that. I think the Gamemakers would appreciate that enough to let us spend the games in a relative comfort and have painless deaths at the end. Let's say conveniently placed poisonous plants which we conveniently fail to recognize as such. I'm sure the audience will consider it a great tragedy."

Thresh couldn't hold back any longer and exclaimed, "I can't believe you! Are you actually planning our deaths?"

Harry raised his eyebrows and replied, "Thresh, I thought that you would understand by this point. It's not the destination which is important here but the path."

"What?"

"Everything that has a beginning has also an end. It does not matter when we die but what are we going to do with the time we were given. What am I truly offering you is an opportunity to spend last days of your life on your own terms. You can run away and hide in some hole like and an animal - until Cato finds you. Or, you can stay with us and spend the rest of your life like a decent human being."

Thresh pondered it for a while and answered that he needed time to think about it. The lunch ended and they resumed the training.


	7. Preparation

Preparation

After the lunch, they headed to the camouflage station to let the food settle. Harry painted a green, brown, and black military camouflage on his face while Rue and Katniss went for real leaves and branches.

They split afterwards. Harry and Thresh went to practice spear throwing while Rue and Katniss returned to knives. Harry quickly found out that Thresh had a very bad aim.

"Unlike us, you don't have to put your body into it," said Harry. "But that doesn't mean that you can forget about technique completely. In fact, you should strive to have a better aim than me."

He left him to practice after five minutes and checked on Rue and Katniss. It seemed that Katniss understood the basics and was actually helping Rue to improve.

Towards the end of the session, Harry pulled another surprise and led the others to a sword practice station. He had actually learned basics of fencing after Voldemort's death (as an alternative for disposing of vampires). He looked around for a katana but there wasn't any. He picked a normal sword instead and gave it a few swings. He put it back after a moment and picked a wooden practice sword. He headed to an instructor who was eyeing him warily.

"I promise I'm not very good at this," he assured the assistant.

Up in the gallery, one of the Gamemakers notified the others. Harry's group was getting attention again. The young wizard assumed a position which was unfamiliar to the trainer but he knew better than to lecture him. They clashed.

The difference between their styles became apparent quickly. The instructor attacked and parried using the strength of his arms and moved using the strength of his legs. Harry joined the two - he used parrying as a support for movements of his body. Not only it lowered the amount of power he needed to exert on parrying but it also made him faster. The instructor tried to somehow exploit this and take Harry's advantage away but is seemed that Harry's style accounted for that possibility as well.

Harry went into offensive. At one point, he managed to attack his opponent from a side. He whacked him over his leg from behind and the instructor sunk to a half-kneel. Harry moved behind him and placed his wooden sword on his neck. The trainer yielded.

It was time to return to their apartments. Harry and his three companions boarded a lift together.

"I've got an idea," said Harry and pressed the top floor.

"We are allowed to visit each other's floors?" asked Rue.

"We aren't headed to our floor. I'd like all of us to go to the roof."

"Why?" asked Thresh.

"I'll explain when we get there."

They reached the top floor and took the stairs to the roof.

"Are we going to discuss strategy?" asked Katniss.

"If you wish to. Alas, I would like to exploit a hole in the rules. We are prohibited from fighting each other and we can't practice with each other during the training. However, the training is over now so I would like to squeeze some more training before dinner."

"Is this really allowed?" asked Rue.

"Better to ask for forgivenesses than for permission," replied Harry and approached Thresh. "Now, grab me."

Thresh frowned. He understood that Harry wanted to work on his speed. His hand shot forward but Harry moved to a side. Thresh made a wide horizontal sweep with his other hand but Harry moved out of his range partially and slapped the arm away.

"Faster!" urged Harry. "And try to think about ways to limit my chances of escape before you move."

Thresh spread his arms and rushed him. Harry sidestepped him, ducking under his arm. He slapped Thresh on his back as they passed each other.

After a minute of that, he said, "Keep practising with Katniss. I'll work with Rue."

After three more minutes, two guards arrived to the roof.

"Excuse me, the rules don't allow this," said one of them.

Harry nodded and replied, "Very well, we were almost finished here anyway."

He looked at Rue and told her mentally to try to have some practice with Thresh in their apartment next morning. The guards led Rue and Thresh to the lift while Harry and Katniss headed to their apartments. After they showered, they met with Effie in the dining room and discussed their strategy.

"May I ask you for something?" asked her Harry afterwards.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Could you get us a basket of fist-sized balls? You know, like the ones used for..." Harry hesitated - he couldn't name a game which was no longer played. "You know, sturdy but not hard."

"I'll got them for you," agreed Effie. "What do you need them for?"

"Oh, Katniss and me have thought of a way to amuse ourselves. Don't worry, we won't break anything."

Harry also asked about district tokens and gave Effie his disk. He hoped that the review board was going to clear it.

They had a dinner. Haymitch didn't attend but Cinna and Portia made an appearance. It was first time Harry and Katniss saw them since the parade. Harry wondered how had they managed to explain his stunt or what Cinna himself thought about it (he didn't read his mind). He reckoned that Cinna wished to speak about what had happened but couldn't because of the cameras around them.

Katniss was completely oblivious to Cinna's and Portia's tension. She was more concerned about the Avox girl. She had no idea what kind of effect was the singularity going to have but Harry had told her that the result wasn't going to be pretty. Was the Avox girl going to die? Katniss figured that she couldn't possibly take care of everybody.

Cinna considered possible ways of talking to Harry without saying anything incriminating. Harry decided to deflect his attention. When Portia left the table to use a toilet, Harry turned to Effie and said, "Excuse me. I'm afraid I'm going to do something which might be considered a faux pas. So, feel free to reprimand me but there is something I've been dying to ask Cinna."

Effie just raised her eyebrows.

"Well, ask away," said Cinna. He probably thought that Harry was about to give him some kind of a coded hint.

"Is there something between you and Portia?"

Cinna was stumped momentarily. Effie grinned and her eyebrows shot even higher.

"Well, I've actually noticed some chemistry in there myself," she started and then there was no stopping her.

"I apologize for my nosiness," excused Harry himself when a convenient pause occurred. "I've always been overtly interested in lives of people around me. Maybe because I've never had much of a life of my own. You wouldn't guess it from somebody like me but it actually made me to care about people around me more rather than less."

In the end, Harry actually gave him a hint. The message was: "Keep quiet and I'll see you right." Harry wasn't sure whether Cinna understood.

Portia returned and Effie started to chat her up. Harry and Katniss finished their meals. Harry excused himself, claiming that it was time for him to retire. Katniss joined him. On their way, Harry told her to go to sleep as soon as possible.

Katniss understood that he wished to get some warming-up done before the training next day. She took a relaxing shower and ordered a cup of unsweetened chamomile tea. She tried to fall asleep, sipping the tea once in a while. She finished, used a toilet, but sleep still didn't come. Finally she realized that the only way to calm herself enough for sleep to claim her was to make herself believe that Harry truly had everything well in hand.

* * *

As expected, an Avox woke Katniss up next morning. On Harry's request no doubt, since it was still dark outside.

Their morning routine was as time-effective as possible. They had some tea with milk and a few slices of banana. There was a short period of time allocated to basic morning hygiene during which their little "pre-breakfast" settled. Then the exercise started. First some basic warm-up and an actual CQC training after that. Harry took advantage of actually being able to train Katniss himself. Truth to be told, they didn't know if it was allowed but no guards showed up to stop their activity.

After a shower and a proper breakfast, Harry asked Effie to ask Portia whether he could talk to her that evening about his outfit for the final interviews. Once again, Cinna and Portia weren't around and Harry wasn't sure whether they were going to show up.

Harry and Katniss didn't arrive to the training with as much time to spare as the previous day. Their friends from District 11 were there already and so were the Careers. As a matter of fact, tributes from District 1 and District 2 were pestering Rue and Thresh at the moment. It seemed that they were trying to convince Thresh to join them instead of Harry. It didn't work well, Thresh was thick-headed and didn't like being pressured.

When Harry and Katniss arrived, Cato gave Harry a contemptuous look and strode away along with his followers. Harry watched them leave with a smile on his lips. Still grinning, he turned his eyes to Rue, who grinned back at him.

"Well, what shall we do today?" asked Katniss.

"Ranged combat," replied Harry. "Thresh, we need to get you up to speed when it comes to spears. Rue, could you please help Katniss with a bow?"

"Moving targets?" asked Rue before Katniss could protest and remind Harry that she didn't need a practice.

"Small moving targets," specified Harry. "And perhaps some indirect fire if there's time."

"I see..." muttered Rue.

Katniss wasn't sure what it meant but she went along. She had actually practised indirect fire with Gale after meeting Harry. They parted and Rue started tossing targets for Katniss. Glimmer took another bow and started to practice too. Katniss noticed that Glimmer was doing it wrong - just as expected. Moreover, Glimmer was convinced that her technique was correct so she didn't even try to copy Katniss.

Harry and Thresh went to a spear stand.

"I propose to practice the technique first on standard targets and then we can get to what I've got in mind," told Harry to Thresh.

Thresh still wasn't entirely on board with the whole alliance thing but he was willing to play along for the moment. They did some stretching first and then started to practise. Thresh wasn't displaying a very good attitude and questioned Harry's tips. Harry asked an instructor to stop by them at his earliest convenience. What the instructor told them when he did was very similar to what Harry had said.

They practised for about an hour and then Harry said, "You are making progress. Let's get on with this. Wait here."

Thresh, the other tributes and the instructors observed curiously as Harry dragged a sword practice figurine into the target area for spears.

"Don't expect the instructors to confirm this idea," said Harry when he returned Thresh. "Because, you know, they won't. You'll just have to trust me on this."

"What are you talking about?" growled Thresh.

Harry pointed at the figurine with his index finger and said, "I want you to hit it in its neck."

Thresh looked back at him incredulously and exclaimed, "What?"

"Yes, I do realize that it sounds strange," elaborated Harry. "After all, common sense suggests to aim at the middle of a torso. However, imagine that the careers would get their hands on an armour."

"What?" exclaimed Thresh.

"Well, it's possible. The Gamemakers can decide to put some in the arena. To make the games more interesting and longer. Now, look at Katniss."

Thresh did as he was asked. Rue was tossing targets for Katniss, who was taking them down with a bow and arrows. Rue looked back at Harry who put his hands in front of himself, palms together, and slowly drew them away from each other. It signified that they should increase the distance. Rue nodded and repeated the instruction to Katniss. The instructors grew nervous, wondering whether that kind of shooting was safe. They weren't about to give her a protective gear so one of them told Rue to position herself behind a board with a practice target.

"Now, Thresh," continued Harry. "Almost every armour have at least one weak spot, depending on the type of the armour. If it's a plate armour, like the one used by heavy Peacekeepers, then the appropriate place to aim at is a neck. Try it."

Thresh frowned, muttered something under his breath, and grabbed a spear. He took aim carefully and threw. The spear hit a shoulder of the figurine but the tip didn't lodge itself in.

"Yes, it's more difficult than it seems," commented Harry and took a spear too. He threw and did only slightly better than Thresh. The spear winged the neck of the figurine and hit a wall behind it.

"It's more difficult that it looks indeed," added Harry.

They trained till it was time for lunch.

After they boarded the lift that afternoon, Harry told the others, "Could we go to the roof for a while?"

"Again? They'll just chase us away like yesterday," argued Katniss.

"They won't heave a reason, we won't be doing anything wrong," assured her Harry.

They reached the top floor.

"I need to pick something up from Effie," said Harry. "Wait for me on the roof."

The others had no idea what was he intending but they did as he asked. Harry stopped in the apartment and picked up the basket of balls that Effie had gotten for him. He rejoined the others.

"What's that?" asked Thresh when Harry dropped the basket on the roof.

Harry picked a ball and explained, "Throwing a spear or shooting an arrow is one thing. Thinking tactically and operating as a team is another. Hence, we'll play a little game. It's non-combative, technically, so they won't have no reason to break this up this time."

"You want us to throw these at each other?" asked Rue.

"Yes," replied Harry and tossed the ball he was holding at the forcefield. It rebounded and he caught it again. "As you can see, you don't need to worry about loosing them. However, do not exploit the forcefield - it's improbable that there's going to be one at hand when you'll fight for real."

"Are you serious?" asked Katniss.

Harry lobbed the ball at her, hitting her in her foot.

"Quite," he answered. "Let's make teams."

They divided the girls versus the boys. Harry's team was at a great disadvantage, partly because of Thresh's size, partly because Thresh wasn't taking the exercise seriously. Harry tried to give him some pointers but he was ignored.

At one point, Thresh even tried to leave. He reconsidered when Rue hit him in the back of his head with a ball. He grabbed that ball and chucked it back at her. She twisted out of the way easily.

Thresh started to put more effort into the game since then. Little by little, Harry taught his three friends basic principles of taking cover, covering each other and tactical manoeuvring. They played until Effie came to collect them. She took the scene in, not really comprehending what was happening. She informed the tributes that the dinner was about to be served.

Harry directed their training in first half of the third (and last) day as well. Katniss started to see a pattern finally - he wanted them to be prepared for enemies armed with ranged weapons. That led her to a logical leap to Peacekeepers. Harry planned to fight Peacekeepers. Katniss wondered what exactly was Harry planning. Unfortunately, she couldn't talk about it with him.

The time for their private sessions arrived. Katniss knew that there was nothing more to show but she motioned to her friends to assemble in a corner of the lunch room.

"Do we have some kind of a strategy for this?" she whispered.

"There's nothing to talk about," answered Harry in a slightly higher volume. "We've shown them all we could. So, do whatever you want with your allotted time. I've got only one advice: They'll be quite tired when it's our turn. Amusing them will make them grateful."

"What?" exclaimed Thresh.

"I can sing," proposed Rue.

"Great! Katniss, you can sing too, right?"

"I don't know..." protested the girl. Singing was quite a personal thing for her.

"Oh, for crying out loud! You'll survive it for once."

"And what about you? Are you going to tell jokes?"

"I just might. Too bad I don't know how to tap-dance."

"What about Thresh?" wondered Rue.

Harry grinned and proposed, "Well, Thresh can strip to underwear and show off his muscles!"

Thresh just growled at him.

They summoned the tributes one by one, until Katniss was left alone. Finally they called her name as well.

She entered the training room. The Gamemakers seemed to be in a good mood. All of them were facing the training area, glasses in hands and refreshments in reach. They didn't look like people who were about to dully asses someone's skill. At all.

Seneca nodded to her, giving her a signal to start. Katniss bowed and spoke, "Katniss Everdeen, District 12. The valley song." She started to sing.

* * *

They all assembled in front of a big screen. Effie, Haymitch, Cinna, Portia and, of course, both tributes. It was time for scores to be published.

There was a slight change. In previous years, they had merely showed a photo of a tribute and flashed a score below it. This year, Flickerman and Templesmith complemented the occasion by their commentary. There were even small windows by the sides which displayed them as they read the announcements. Another difference was the fact that scores of female tributes were being announced before their male counterparts.

The Careers received the usual scores ranging from eight to ten. It was interesting that both Clove and Cato received ten. Either Clove was truly as lethal as Cato or the Gamemakers had decided to follow up on Harry's idea and supported Clove.

Time for Harry's quartet came after a while. It was barely noticeable but Flickerman's window grew larger.

"Rue, District 11, 8," he announced. He shot a crooked grin at the camera and added, "Congratulations!"

Thresh received 10, which was no surprise. If anything, they should have given him more for things which he had learned with Harry's group. Templesmith raised his fist and balled it tightly. He made a wannabe fierce face which was supposed to reflect Thresh's temper.

It was Katniss's turn. Flickerman said her name and district. He made a slight pause before he announced her score, "11." He leaned his head forward and raised his eyebrows cheerfully.

Effie burst out into cheers and congratulations. Harry and Cinna joined in a more humble manner. They were the only ones. Katniss himself wasn't very excited though she had expected 10 points rather than 11. Haymitch just took another swig from his glass. Portia was silent.

"And finally," spoked Flickerman again after a while. "Harry Potter, District 12, 12."

His voice was solemn and he tightened his chin and nodded slightly to underline the seriousness of his announcement. Then he stiffened and hurriedly explained, "I mean, he's from District 12 and he received 12 points from the Gamemakers." He lowered his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

"I can't believe you!" exclaimed Templesmith.

The small windows which displayed the two commentators grew until they joined and a full feed from the studio was visible.

Templesmith continued, "Such a historical occasion and you've managed to give it to the audience in such poor way."

Effie came out of her shock and pursed her lips petulantly. "That's true. It's unfair to you, Harry," she complained.

"Oh please," disagreed Harry. "They've planned it obviously. It's a live feed and yet the camera team reacted very quickly by switching from the photos to the studio."

"Are you sure?" asked Effie.

"Absolutely. District 12, 12 points. The occasion literary begged for a veiled joke like that. I'm sure people are going to make jabs at it till next games. For all we know, Thresh didn't get 11 because he's from District 11."

Effie tried to make the dinner look like a grand occasion. Between her and Harry, she probably succeeded. Both of them also supplied most of the conversation that evening. Katniss was only giving polite responses when asked a question. The others ate in silence. Haymitch passed out eventually and Harry carried him to his room.

When he returned, he told Katniss, "Well, we won't have a training session tomorrow so we don't have to stick to our morning schedule. You can sleep in if you wish. However, I would also like to squeeze in some workout in our interview preparation. It wouldn't do to let our muscles go stiff."

He didn't need to tell that to Katniss. She wouldn't get up for their usual pre-breakfast exercise even if he wanted to. She also assumed that they would synchronize their interviews just like she assumed that he had talked about it with Rue already.

"Cinna, Portia, are our outfits ready?" asked Harry.

"Well, yes," answered Cinna. "Katniss will be charming, I'm sure. However, we aren't really sure if your choice will make an impression."

"If it's elegant, then it will," insisted Harry.

They went to bed later than usual that night. However, next morning wasn't as relaxing as they thought it would be. A group of people came to visit Harry. That is, if it could be called that way - they didn't seem friendly. The good thing was that they came to the training centre to talk to him, instead of taking him away to interrogate him somewhere else.

There was Seneca Crane himself and another Gamemaker. They were accompanied by some bureaucrat and two Peacekeepers. The reason for their presence was simple: They had found out that there was no Harry Potter in District 12 or anywhere else. Not in birth records and not in any other kind of records, including reaping attendance ones.

"You've got me. I've found the T-shirt!" exclaimed Harry when they divulged their accusation. "Did you really think that it was printed for me? Who would do such a thing in District 12? And how could I possibly afford it?"

Seneca paused for a moment but then he remembered. "Do you claim, that you've lied to everybody because of that piece of rag?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, I've found it inside a slag heap next to the mines," confirmed Harry. "I've told myself, "Look, a T-shirt, what a catch!" It was oversized at the time but that didn't matter. I washed it and noticed the print on it and I couldn't believe my eyes. There was number twelve on it! Like my district! So I thought to sell the shirt to somebody but no one wanted it. And I knew in that moment that the only way how to gain something from my find was to use it myself. The rest is history."

Seneca nodded slowly. The young man volunteered because he found a discarded rag.

"What's your real name?" asked the bureaucrat.

"Andrew Rivers," answered Harry. "Look, the audience knows me as Harry Potter already. You can't just tell them a different name now, they would be confused. I've buried Andrew Rivers anyway. It was just a name they gave me in the orphanage. A bit of ink on a piece of paper. It should be relatively simple to change it so I would be Harry Potter legally."

They interrogated Harry for almost two more hours, mainly checking his back story, repeating certain questions several times. They made sure to let him know that he had made a huge mistake. In the end, Seneca decreed that Harry Potter would remain Harry Potter. The Peacekeepers didn't like it but the fact remained that it was truly easy to change his name in the records.

Katniss wondered whether Andrew Rivers was real and who was he if so and how long would it take to Peacekeepers to uncover Harry's new ruse. He had said that he had buried Andrew Rivers. Did that mean that Andrew was dead? Alas, she couldn't ask him about it with all the surveillance around.

However, Harry did approach her to talk about it. Katniss understood why - it would be suspicious not to discuss such a matter. Harry reiterated his explanation in a more personal manner. Katniss understood that every word was a lie.

"So, should I call you Andrew now?" she asked in the end.

Harry shook his head and answered, "No one bothered to do that at the community home. It's probably not even the name which my mother intended for me, if she ever intended one for me to begin with. No, the only name that ever mattered to me was Harry Potter. I don't know who he was. Probably someone important if he owned a shirt with his own name on it."

"And what does the number 12 mean?"

"That there were eleven more people with him?"

"Maybe he was a tribute."

"I don't know about any tribute with such a name from our district. Maybe it was in times when the games were still being formed? You know, before the games which we consider as the first now?"

They planned their interviews until it was time to dress up. Cinna's team started to work on Katniss two hours before Portia brought Harry his attire. An official came to tell Harry that he could carry on using his new name.

Finally, it was time for the interviews with Flickerman. Harry was dressed in a standard business suit which looked exactly like the ones from the end of twentieth century. Katniss was dressed in a green-brown dress with high neck and long sleeves. It was fitting, sturdy, and had a "practical" look (for an eye of a Capitol citizen at least). Cinna chose to go with that angle because it matched Harry's policy.

They rode the elevator down and joined the other tributes by the stage. Harry, Katniss, and Rue huddled together and were hesitatingly joined by Thresh after a moment. Harry consulted with Rue quickly and wished everybody a good luck. He noticed that the boy from District 10 was watching them. He was crippled. Harry looked at his friends and approached them.

"You know, this alliance is still open," he told both tributes. "We would have discussed that with you but you were avoiding us."

When the show started, all 24 tributes paraded onto the stage where they seated themselves in a big arc. Flickerman began to interview them, starting with District 1. It was obvious to Harry what their angle was - they profiled themselves like ideal victors, just as Harry had predicted. Clove from District 2 was quite cool actually. Harry hoped that he wouldn't be forced to kill her.

Harry noticed a peculiar thing about Cato. He seemed to be nervous. He was sitting in a leg-over-leg style (the variant where an ankle rests on a knee). He was rocking the upper leg for the whole time. That was either a sign of someone who had trouble sitting still or who was trying to make it look like that.

"Cato, you are going to have quite a competition," inquired Flickerman. "Harry Potter seems to be the favourite this year. Aren't you worried?"

"Well, I've met him. So no, I'm not worried."

It was quite unheard of from Flickerman to mention another tribute during an interview. Harry wondered what was he trying to do.

More tributes followed, each of them less and less remarkable. Then it was Rue's turn and things got interesting again.

Flickerman asked two basic questions before inquiring about the parade.

"Well, we knew that we were going to be allied beforehand," replied Rue. "I didn't actually meet Harry and Katniss until just before the parade but it was clear to me that I wanted to go with it. Thresh needed a little more time to think about it. As for the flames, Thresh and me were surprised almost as anybody else. As I understand it, the whole thing was a last minute arrangement and between our arrival and preparation, there wasn't enough time to explain everything to us. We ware glad to have a moment to meet our future allies and have a few words with them."

The lengthy answer disrupted Flickerman's rhythm momentarily. He probably didn't wish the audience to hear so much about the parade from the very first member of the quadruple. He asked her, "Is this alliance the reason why you don't seem to be worried much?"

"Well, I do worry a little," replied Rue. "But from a different reason than you think."

"You don't trust your friends?"

"Oh, I do trust them. With my life actually." That raised some laughs from the audience and Rue laughed with them. "No seriously. I am small but that is a certain assurance actually. Thresh would never harm me but even if he did, he wouldn't be received well at home. He knows it, I know it. What I'm worried about is not being able to fulfil my tasks. I was given several of them. Some seemingly simple and yet important ones such as collecting plants and berries and some far more critical. I can't tell you more."

"Do you think that they would abandon you?"

"No, that's not it either. I just don't want to be a burden, that's all."

Flickerman started to ask one last question, when Rue interrupted him and asked how much time was left. After receiving an answer, she stood up and said, "I'm sorry but I need to do this." She faced a camera and called, "I would like to say hello to my family. Hi, mum!" She waved enthusiastically and smiled brightly.

Interviewing Thresh was a little bit difficult. He was consistently resisting Flickerman's attempts at conversation.

When Flickerman asked about the alliance, Thresh replied, "I think Rue said it all already."

Flickerman, frustrated by the lack of cooperation, asked Thresh whether there was anything he wanted to say, he replied dryly, "Yes. I want to say hello to my family back home."

It was Katniss's turn. Flickerman opened with a comment about the parade.

"I was just doing what I was told," she answered. "Harry knows more about it. You should ask him if you want details."

"And that I will," replied Flickerman. "Now, let's go back to the moment when they called your sister's name at the reaping and you volunteered. Can you tell us about her?"

"Her name's Prim. She's just twelve and I love her more than anything. However, I wouldn't call my volunteering an act of bravery or sacrifice."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Well, I was considering volunteering for some time before that," answered Katniss and tried not to think about what her family and Gale were thinking back home. "In fact, you could say that I've started volunteering a long time ago."

"How is that?"

"It's only a myth that there are no volunteers in our district - there's actually a lot of them. However, when one does volunteer in twelve, he or she does not just raise a hand during a reaping. No, you simply start taking tesserae and the rest will take care of itself. And that's exactly what I did when I was little."

Flickerman blinked, trying to come up with a suitable response. Katniss was first tribute ever to say anything like it. In fact, he wasn't sure if they were even allowed to discuss such things.

"Well, that's definitely a novel way to look at things," he said finally. "But then your sister got drawn and that changed your plans."

"Yes. I wasn't going to truly volunteer this year just yet. But I would, eventually. Next year perhaps."

"Why? Waiting to be drawn wasn't enough for you?"

"No. After all, probability of being drawn isn't that high. And I really intended to participate in the games sooner or later. You know, when your last reaping goes by and you aren't drawn, there aren't many options for you in District 12 really. If you are the oldest son in a merchant family, you can hope to inherit a shop. Your career choices are rather limited otherwise. The coal mines are drying up and resources are scarce. Our population has been decreasing steadily but there still isn't enough food for everyone. So, what kind of life would there be for me back home if I didn't volunteer? No, it's far better to come here and enjoy all the good food and luxury - even if it's only for a short while."

The time ran up then. Frankly speaking, Flickerman was quite glad for that.

It was Harry's turn. He bounded up to the centre of the stage, smiling and waving jovially at the audience which welcomed him by a thunderous applause. Harry crossed his legs and bowed deeply. Only then he sat down.

Flickerman took charge right from the beginning. "Harry, there are many big things I want to ask you," he started. "We've heard it twice now - ask Harry about the parade. So, don't let us wait any longer and tell us all about it. Was it a real flame?"

"Well, sure," answered Harry hesitatingly. "It was quite spectacular, wasn't it? The idea to do something like that was around for quite some time, actually. I would like to use this opportunity to highlight the work of our stylists..."

Harry trailed off, as if uncertain about something. Suddenly, he jumped up from his seat and cried, "Bollocks! It was all fake! Not only there weren't any real flames, there weren't any flames at all!"

"Excuse me?" asked Flickerman, completely befuddled.

"Those flames were added to the camera feed by a computer! It was just a trick! And everybody who was there was in on it!"

Harry sunk back to his seat, threw his arm over his face and exclaimed, "I'm so glad I've let that out. It's a like a great boulder was lifted from my chest."

"What are you talking about? I was there and I saw the flames!"

"Oh, is that so?" countered Harry and straightened up. "Did you have a seat right in the lowest row or did you watch details in your monitor?"

"Well..."

"Look, I know that those flames looked real but frankly, how would you make real flames behave like that? Or do you think that I somehow conjured those flames up?"

When Harry finished the last sentence, a ball of flame formed in front of his hand. It was a small ball, hovering above his palm as if propane was escaping from his fingers. Harry looked at the ball with a stumped expression on his face.

"That's not a real flame either!" he declared quickly. "Just like I've said, it's not even here, it's all computer."

He shook his hand and the ball of flame dispersed. The audience was laughing. Flickerman looked from Harry to audience and back. The people liked the interview so he decided to roll with it.

"Well, to another question then," he stated and cleared his throat. "You and Katniss have reached extraordinary scores. How have you two managed to do that?"

Harry gave Flickerman a crooked grin and lazily replied, "The same way the tributes from districts 1 and 2 got their scores."

Harry waited for about two seconds to let everybody fill in the blank. Then he finished, "We are natural born killers."

Harry laughed and gave the audience a knowing smile. There was some moderate response from the audience but most people were waiting whether Harry was going to elaborate.

"Look, it's like when a sculptor makes a sculpture," continued Harry. "He doesn't actually create the statue because the statue was always there. And it's exactly same with some tributes. Katniss and I are predators. No amount of training can give you that."

The people in the audience were silent as they pondered his words.

"Enough of the heavy," stated Harry and clasped his hands. "You have asked me why have I received twelve points."

"Yes?" prodded him Flickerman.

Harry raised his finger and, with a grin on his face, finished, "I received twelve because the Gamemakers couldn't give me thirteen or more." He burst out laughing. Flickerman and the audience joined him. Cato looked as if he ate a lemon. In one gulp.

"Now seriously," asserted Harry once the waves of laughter abated. "I didn't show anything special during my evaluation. As a matter of fact, there really isn't much space to show anything. You are just standing there, alone in an empty gym. No sparring partners. Those are not ideal conditions to manifest yourself as an avatar of a god of war and destruction. So, nobody can really tell if there isn't more in some tributes until the games start."

"Still, it would be more reasonable to bet on you rather than on other tributes."

"I don't think so."

"Why not?" asked Flickerman, befuddled.

"I've never said that I intended to become a victor."

A stunned silence followed that statement.

"I'm sorry, I'm confused," said Flickerman.

"Look, I don't have some kind of a death wish," elaborated Harry. "But try to look at it from my perspective. Firstly, what would need to happen in order for me to come out of these games as a sole survivor?"

"Well, you would need to win," replied Flickerman in confusion.

"My friends would need to die," corrected him Harry. "Now, I have promised to Katniss and Thresh that I'm going to help them survive but you can make an argument that they are grown ups who can take care of themselves. However, this logic does not apply to Rue."

"Wait a minute. You are talking about your competition. You can't be expected to take care of them."

"And that's the snag. The four of us have gone to great lengths to advertise that we are in this together. It's just like Rue said - anybody who would betray the others would become an outcast. Sure, if I win, I will have a lot of money. But I won't be able to buy much for it. Unless there were some extraneous circumstances surrounding my victory. But those are unlikely to happen with the opposition we have."

The audience was silent. They had never seen a tribute claiming that he had no intention of winning. Especially if the said tribute was a favourite.

"There are more reasons why I'm not eager to become a victor," continued Harry. "For example, what exactly will happen if I win? I don't fancy becoming a drunk loner like Haymitch or becoming a celebrity who provides company to older ladies. Nothing against older ladies, of course. I like older women, in fact."

There hoots from the audience.

"So what exactly would I do after the games? Would they offer me a position among Peacekeepers? I don't think I would be very good at that. So maybe a position in some defence forces which we have for cases of external attack? Do we even have such forces?"

"Well, I've never heard about such a thing," replied Flickerman. "And I don't think it's possible for you to join."

"Exactly. So there would be nothing for me to do. You know, I've always admired people like Beetee and Wiress. Winning the games was only a beginning of their real career. But what kind of career would I have in District 12? A foreman in the mines? Nothing against mining but anybody can do that. I would really hate to spend the rest of my life telling people how great I was when I was young."

"Well, that's one way to look at it," remarked Flickerman.

"And, of course, there's the thing about exclusivity of being a victor."

"What do you mean?"

"What is there at the end of each and every game?"

"A victor?"

"Exactly. So being a victor doesn't exactly say anything about how good are you. It just says that your competition was dumber than you are. So becoming a victor wouldn't be much of an achievement for me. Of course, if I knew that the special rule for next year would be that all tributes would be drawn from previous victors, then I would consider..."

Harry was interrupted by sounds of disapproval from the audience. Flickerman raised his hand towards the audience in a calming gesture.

"Well Harry, such a thing is highly unlikely," he said, speaking both to Harry and the audience. "However, if becoming a victor isn't good enough for you, than what is?"

Harry raised fingers on both his hands and, carefully wording each word, answered, "For my name to be remembered for as long as the Capitol stands."

His words were followed by silence so he continued, "For as long as any of us can remember, all the Games were roughly the same every year. Tributes from higher district form an alliance and take control of the starting area. Then they sit on all the supplies for the rest of the Games and occasionally kill a tribute. The only excitement comes when all the other tributes finally die of hunger and members of the alliance start betraying each other. I'm sorry, am I the only one here who finds this scenario a wee bit boring? Where's any kind of tactics or strategy? Where's the suspense of watching two opposing teams make moves and counter-moves before one of them strike at the other? Let's face it, the Games have grown decadent. Mark my words though, this year is going to be different. And who knows, maybe these Games will provide enough inspiration and motivation to continue this tradition in Quarter Quell next year. And maybe this year will be forever noted in the annals of Hunger Games as the year when the Games were brought to a whole new standard."

The audience remained silent. They were imagining the possibilities. Flickerman was uncomfortable. Once again, he wasn't sure whether that kind of talk was appropriate.

"Well, it's been nice talking to you," concluded Harry. "Alas, I believe that our time is going to run out in a few seconds."

The buzzer went off, just like Harry said. He stood up, bowed again, and returned to his place next to Katniss.

Flickerman stood up as well, raised his arm in a theatre like gesture and intoned, "Ladies and gentleman, tributes of seventy-fourth Hunger Games!"

The audience answered by a thunderous applause.

Harry, Katniss, Rue, and Thresh took an elevator together on their way to their apartments.

"Thresh, there's something you should know," said Harry on their way up.

"Huh?" murmured Thresh. He was still unsure about the whole thing.

"As you might have noticed, there are a lot of cameras around. They record everything we do and say. I believe that the Gamemakers have been spying on us for the career pack. It was to be expected. They don't want all the major players to end up end right at the beginning so they've probably decided to sacrifice us."

There was some muscle reaction in Thresh's face. He was thinking that joining Harry brought him more trouble than it solved.

"We've been expecting that, of course. Katniss and I had plenty of time to discuss this before the reaping. We've got a secret plan. Now, I assume that Katniss managed to communicate this plan to Rue without the Gamemakers noticing. Is that right, Rue?"

"It is," answered the girl.

"I was supposed to do the same with you, Thresh," continued Harry. "Obviously, I have failed. No matter, the plan is not that complicated. Just stick to Katniss and Rue and you'll be all right."

Thresh was looking at him suspiciously.

"Look, I know you don't trust us," said Harry exasperatedly. "But I can promise you one thing. Don't do anything stupid and you'll have a pretty good chance of surviving this."

They arrived to Rue's and Thresh's floor.

"See you tomorrow," said Rue as she stepped out of the elevator.


	8. The Games

The Games

Harry and Katniss were already up when Portia arrived to collect Harry. Katniss was scheduled for next hovercraft but Harry wanted to talk to her one last time to encourage her.

Harry boarded his ride and received a tracker.

"Have you got my token?" he asked Portia during the flight.

"Yes. You'll get it back when we're there."

Portia didn't talk much. Partly because she and Cinna were still in trouble, partly because she believed that Harry was deceiving his allies.

"So, do you have any close family in Capitol?" asked Harry after some time.

Portia shook her head. After all, she wouldn't have even considered working for District 13 otherwise.

Harry leaned back in his seat and pondered what was President Snow doing at the time. Harry wondered what was Snow thinking about the whole vault situation. Hopefully, nobody was connecting it with Harry and Katniss yet.

Portia noted that Harry wasn't eating much. She didn't comment on it. Somehow, she didn't think that he was too nervous to eat.

They arrived to their destination and walked through catacombs. It appeared that Harry was just following Portia who was following a Peacekeeper but in reality, Harry was keenly noting every turn and every guard.

Harry showered and drank a glass of water. He refused to eat anything. His outfit finally arrived. His token was in the package. Harry was relieved. Parting with the Time-Turner had been a gamble. Feeling that his plan was more secure with the Time-Turner back in his possession, Harry decided to give Portia a little warning.

"Portia?" he addressed her. "Your and Cinna's job is done for now. I'm sure that following events are going to be hectic and chaotic. Maybe you two should lay low for a while."

Portia furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She made no answer because something was telling her not to inquire for details.

Some time later, the door unlocked and two Peacekeepers entered. It was five minutes before the start. Portia could tell immediately that something was wrong.

"Mr. Potter, or Rivers, or whatever your name is," declaimed one of them. "We have a few questions for you."

"Officers, I don't think there's time..." started Portia.

"Shut up," barked the other Peacekeeper.

"I don't think it's polite to talk to ladies like that," observed Harry.

The Peacekeeper sneered at him and one of them looked up in a corner where a camera was. Harry followed his gaze just in time to see its red light go off. Harry wondered why they bothered with that. A quick peek into their minds told him that they mainly wanted to scare him. However, their visit was also "off the record".

"You led us on quite a merry chase," accused one of the officers threateningly. "We worked hard all day long to verify your story."

"Well, that's quite a dedication," commented Harry tonelessly.

"We checked with the community home of District 12 and there is indeed a record of Andrew Rivers being placed there. The funny thing is, nobody remembers you there."

"Maybe if the community home kept better records or if you simply asked, you would know that I haven't set foot in there for years."

Another quick peek into the minds of the Peacekeepers. They were ordered to interrogate Harry and then, depending on his answers, give him a shot of muscle relaxant in his leg. If he proved truly dangerous, they had a syringe filled with poison which would render his stomach unable to digest food for about a week. At least Katniss, Rue, and Thresh were safe as far as the two clowns knew.

Harry decided to stall. He wanted the tributes on the surface when the shooting starts. So he kept talking to buy time.

The beginning of the Games grew near. The officers decided that there was enough said. They still didn't know what was Harry's full story but they knew that there were many years during which he had been unaccounted for. It was time for them to pull out their ace.

"There's one more thing," announced one of the Peacekeepers.

"Let me guess," interrupted him Harry. "You've found out that Andrew Rivers went missing when he was six years old. Hence no reaping record, just like with Harry Potter."

Portia stopped breathing. The Peacekeepers looked at each other. Muscle relaxant it was.

Harry remained in a passive stance and stared vacantly in front of himself. In his mind, he reviewed the situation. Both officers had handguns but they showed no intention of drawing them from their hip holsters. Hover, one of them was pulling some kind of a gadget from his pocket. It was a variation of a tranquillizer gun. They meant to use it to administer the relaxant.

"Step back Portia," said Harry shortly. He almost tied all the words together to save time.

Despite this advance warning, the Peacekeepers failed to react in time. Harry went after the one with the tranq-gun first. The Peacekeepers finger was on the trigger so Harry just grasped his hand in a right way. A dart went out and burrowed itself in the Peacekeeper's foot. He lost his equilibrium and when Harry twisted the device from his hand, he fell on the floor. Tying one move after another, Harry aimed the "weapon" at the other opponent and hit him in his neck to prevent him from calling for help. The enemy on the floor wasn't even trying to get up yet so Harry exploited his defenceless position and stomped on his neck. The Peacekeeper who was still standing seemed to be temporarily neutralized by the dart in his neck but Harry wasn't taking any chances and put another one in his arm. The Peacekeeper sunk to a knee. Harry kicked him in his head, knocking him out. The whole scuffle lasted for less than five seconds.

"I'm not working for Coin, if that's what you're thinking," told Harry to Portia and turned the unconscious man on his belly. Portia averted her eyes when Harry broke his spine. He deprived the two men of their weapons, ammo, and a package of extra darts. He had to give it to the woman, she wasn't screaming. Then again, she was a spy.

"I trust that they've taught you two how to use these," he told her as he handed her the guns and ammo. He briefly considered leaving one of the guns in the tube for Katniss but he figured that she would be more comfortable with a bow anyway.

Portia shook her head. She was still somewhat stumped by Harry's speed.

Harry sighed and quickly explained, "It's simple. Keep your finger off the trigger and always point the gun at your enemy. Don't point it up nor down, that's not as safe as most people think. It could ricochet in a funny way and hit you or Cinna. Safeties are off and bullets are in chambers so be careful. When you think you are running out of ammo, press this little button and put in a new magazine. If you actually do run out of ammo, do the same and pull the trigger."

Harry walked to the camera and disabled it. He didn't wish to risk somebody from the Capitol to activate the camera remotely and see what had happened. Not that a dysfunctional camera wasn't suspicious. Harry started to pull an uniform off the smaller Peacekeeper. Unfortunately, the other uniform wouldn't fit either him or Portia and walking around with a uniform way too big was conspicuous.

"Don't worry, this war is already won," he continued. "Speaking of which, I hope that you were either telling the truth when you said that you have no loved ones in Capitol or that you can contact them quickly and tell them to get out of the city."

"Why?" she didn't like what was Harry saying but she couldn't imagine what could possibly happen.

"I'll explain when I address Panem," avoided Harry and started to put the uniform on. "Now wait till the lifts go up, then go find Cinna and give him a gun. I'll contact you. And keep those guns hidden for now. The Capitol can still watch the camera feeds."

"What about you?" asked Portia. She was talking about the fact that he himself had no gun.

"I've got this," replied Harry and raised the dart thrower. "Makes no sound."

Finally, he reached into his pocket, took out his tracker, and gave it to Portia.

"When? How?" she asked. She didn't see any signs of blood on Harry's arm.

"A magician never explains his tricks," replied Harry. "Walk around for a while and when the time comes, toss it on the lift."

Harry left the room. He kept his head down when he walked through the corridor. He was quite sure that the only one who was watching the feeds from cameras was his future version but temporal logic was temporal logic. Also, anybody from Capitol could theoretically access the security system. At least there were no guards stationed right next to the door of his launch room. The investigators had probably told them to make themselves scarce for a while. There were two guards at the end of the corridor though.

Harry reached a supply closet. There wasn't any access to a ventilation system but that didn't matter. The moment when the tubes were about to go up was near. Harry took his token, laid it on his palm, and tapped it with his finger. The disk fell apart and the hourglass appeared. Harry put the chain around his neck and turned the hourglass.

Once the world came back into focus, Harry hid the Time-Turner under his uniform. He stepped out and started to walk. Again, he kept his head down. He needed to find the local control and security room. Sure, the arena was controlled from the Capitol but they had to have some local controls as well.

Finally, he found it. It wasn't right under Cornucopia but it wasn't at the edge of the arena either. Unfortunately, he couldn't get inside. The two officers he had killed were not stationed in the arena and had no security access in the catacombs. Hence, Harry found nearest toilets and waited.

About ten minutes before his past self was going to receive his token back, a Peacekeeper entered the lavatory.

"Excuse me?" addressed him Harry.

The guard didn't even recognize him at first. Not that it mattered. Harry made an eye contact and put him under his spell. He started by verifying that the man was truly stationed in the control and security room. Then he pulled out all sorts of additional information (for example about a radio connection between the arena and the Capitol).

"Let's take a walk," uttered Harry.

He grasped the man's head between his palms and attacked his mind in earnest. He was no longer reading his mind but ensnaring it with a combination of confusion and _Imperius_.

"Have your access card ready," said Harry when he was done and reached into the man's pocket. He took the card out and placed it in his thrall's hand. He reloaded his "dart gun".

"You'll walk right next to me, like this," specified Harry and grabbed the guard's sleeve. He guided the man and they got moving.

Hiding in plain sight, Harry walked right next to the confused guard, past guards and cameras. His uniform was slightly different so it was clear that he was from "outside". Hence, nobody questioned who he was for as long as he was escorted.

They reached the control room and entered. It most certainly didn't impress Harry. After all, the room was meant for one use only (the Capitol never recycled arenas). It was shaped like an oblong octagon. The walls were covered by control panels, with the exception of the side where the entrance was. There were only six people in there. There was no need for more because the arena was controlled remotely anyway. They were all unarmed, with the exception of the shift commander. There were no cameras inside the room. There was a middle sized screen on the wall opposite from the door. It showed the live airing of the Hunger Games. It was impossible to actually catch the Capitol's broadcast down there but the Gamemakers wanted the local crew to know what was happening so the signal was actually led from the arena's antenna by a cable to the control room. At the moment, there were some final pre-games analysis and prognosis from various "experts".

The shift commander took a glance at Harry's uniform and surmised that he was one of the two Peacekeepers who wished to talk to Harry Potter. Once gain, his sight (and brain) completely missed the face of the supposed Peacekeeper.

"Is there some kind of a problem?" he asked.

"Well..." started Harry, waiting for his thrall to make a move.

And that he did. The ensnared man came to a stop behind an operator and started to strangle him. The shift commander and everybody else turned around. Harry tapped the commander's head lightly with his finger, stunning him with a spell. He drew the "dart gun" and disabled two people before the commander's body hit the floor. Two other operators began to move towards Harry's thrall to tear him off his victim. Another operator noticed that something was happening behind him and turned around just in time to see Harry's palm filling his field of vision. Harry followed by kneeing him in his stomach and finished by smashing his head against a panel.

Harry approached the bundle of four struggling operators. He lazily raised his arm and shot two darts into one of the men who were hanging onto his thrall. The other guy turned his head without ceasing his attempts to stop his seemingly insane colleague. Harry wrapped his arm around his neck and squeezed. When the man was dead, Harry turned his attention at his thrall. He wasn't very strong but he made up for that with his enthusiasm. It seemed that he enjoyed himself. Harry was quite sure that he didn't program him to be so savage. It was probably something that had been in the man for a long time. His thrall's victim's face turned blue and he stopped struggling. Harry scratched his scalp and broke his thrall's neck.

The room still needed to be secured. Harry relieved the commander of his side-arm and ammo. He whacked some of the operators over their heads to be sure. The door opened inside so Harry dragged all the bodies aside so they would be hidden by the door from a sight of anybody entering the room.

Harry found a monitor which showed his past self. He had his outfit and token already. It was almost time for the investigators to arrive. Harry sat down and examined the controls. They weren't that difficult and he had learned a few things from the ensnared operator. He turned to another monitor and switched it to show the corridor in front of the room which he was in. There were two guards outside.

Harry turned back to the previous monitor. It was a minute before the arrival of the investigators. Harry switched another monitor to show the corridor in front of the launch room. He panicked a little when he realized that maybe he was supposed to unlock the door as well. Then the two investigators appeared on the monitor and Harry saw that they were being escorted by local guards. Those let them inside the launch room and walked away.

Back on the first monitor, Harry observed as the Peacekeepers accosted his past self and Portia. There was no sound but he saw their lips move. One of the Peacekeepers looked up at the camera. That was a part which fascinated Harry - interaction between a looper and his "past". When done cleanly, it was quite satisfying. On the other hand, sloppiness resulted in mind boggling results - like in his third year at Hogwarts. He still wasn't quite sure how he and Hermione had survived that loop. Harry pressed a button and the video went out. He made sure that the camera was completely off-line. There was nothing to observe either for him or for Gamemakers back in the Capitol. He trusted that the operators had done the very same thing in the original time-line. Hopefully, it would also prevent anybody from finding out that the camera was physically out of order.

There was nothing to be done for the moment. Harry examined the room and made himself familiar with its controls some more. Especially the broadcasting capabilities of the arena, about which he had learned from the operator's mind. Harry was glad to find a communication terminal with a video interface. He was going to need it. He also prepared a pen and a sheet of paper.

Harry checked on the other tributes. It seemed that nobody was harassing his friends. Rue was calm, Katniss was talking to Cinna, Thresh was pacing around. Most of the other tributes were nervous, especially Cato.

The time when past Harry left his launch room came. The present Harry wondered whether he should speak to Portia through the announcement sound system in the launch room. He decided against it in the end. He decided to wait till it was time for her to start moving. Not to mention that she would wonder how was he able to reach the surveillance room so quickly. He kept checking the corridor in front of the launch room though and locked the door.

Harry decided to get rid of the two guards in front of the control room. He turned the volume of the television up and opened the door. He positioned himself on the side of the door which was opposite from the hinges. He wanted to draw attention away from the side on which all the bodies were piled.

"Guys, you want to see this," he called at them "You won't believe your own ears."

Calling such a request highly irregular would be a gross understatement.

"What?" asked one of the guards in confusion.

"Believe me, if what Flickerman says can be trusted, then we'll all be without a job pretty soon."

"What?!" repeated the guard and they both walked in, eyes on the TV.

Harry slammed the door and whacked the nearest guard over his head with his pistol. The guard in front turned around. Harry was pointing the gun in his face.

"Don't make a sound," threatened Harry before he whacked him as well.

Next part was rather disgusting - Harry needed to execute anybody who was of no use to him. It was an unpleasant business but he couldn't leave anything to chance. In the end, he decided to leave all surviving operators alive and dispose only of the shift commander and the two guards from outside. He broke their necks. However, it was clear to him that he was going to need to put a bullet in all the remaining victims as well later - they saw too much.

Harry's past self activated his Time-Turner. The Harry in the control room became the one and only again and the sands in his hourglass started to move back in the upper half. It was time to check on Portia. He also considered contacting Cinna but that had to wait. It would be conspicuous on the camera feed if Cinna was suddenly startled by his voice coming from the sound system.

Harry took a microphone, connected to his launch room, and spoke, "Portia? It's almost time for me to get in the tube. If you can hear me, take my tracker and make a circle around the room."

He watched as a dot representing him made a circle on a monitor.

"Very good. Now listen to me. You need to be on move before that lift reaches the surface. To get to Cinna, you need to go left. There are two guards, I'll distract them. Keep going forward. The door to Katniss's launch room is further ahead. There are more guards. I'll trigger a fire alarm nearby to lure them away. I'll tell Cinna to go outside, you should spot him. From there, follow the lights. They'll lead you right to me. Beware, I'm going to have my hands full here by that time."

Harry checked the TV. It was almost time. He took the stolen uniform off, it was of no further use to him. Flickerman was stringing the audience up, building the tension. He stressed on and on how important and decisive were the following minutes going to be. Harry expected that Seneca was going to call the control room after Harry's no-show. The question was whether the Capitol had secondary means of contacting the guards in catacombs. Not that they would even have time to explain what was going on to them.

All the tributes were positioned on their metal plates. Harry didn't know whether the Gamemakers considered the trackers infallible or whether the lack of visual confirmation was going to disconcert them. Harry took the microphone again.

"Portia, I'm unlocking the door and starting to lure those first two guards away now," he said.

Harry accessed controls of lights in hallways. The two guards were standing in an intersection. The intersection corridor led to yet another intersection. Harry started to flick lights in there. That caught their attention. They started to walk there to inspect.

"Go. Try to look causally, the Capitol may be still watching," said Harry.

The two guards stopped after a few meters and attempted to contact the control room. Harry responded. They asked him about the malfunction and he answered, "Yes, it seems we have a power fluctuation here. A moment please."

Portia headed towards the intersection. Harry turned all the lights in that area off. He hoped that Portia wouldn't be startled by that.

The lifts with the tributes started to rise. It was time to talk to Cinna. Harry accessed the sound system of Katniss's launch room just like before.

"Cinna, I want you to remain calm now," he said.

Cinna jerked from the surprise.

Harry sighed and continued, "I told you to remain calm. Now listen carefully. Portia is coming your way. When I tell you, step outside of the room so she can find you. She'll tell you more. I'm unlocking the door."

On the TV, all the tributes reached the surface. All tributes with the exception of Harry. Flickerman stuttered something and fell silent again.

What happened next was rather comical. The operator in the Capitol who was in control of the camera which was capturing the Cornucopia probably forgot that it was a live broadcast and zoomed in on Harry's plate until the extracted tracker was visible. Harry tried to imagine the moment of dumbfounded silence all over Panem. He pressed a button and a fire alarm started in vicinity of the launch rooms.

The moment lasted only for a few seconds. Somebody zoomed the camera out again and the broadcast switched to Flickerman's studio (who was as stupefied as everybody else at the moment). There was a Capitol panorama behind him. Harry hoped that it was real (or live at least).

Harry took the microphone and told Cinna to get moving. Cinna hesitated but then he did as he was asked. Harry didn't have time to watch the two stylist through cameras so he just activated a pre-prepared macro which turned all lights in the corridors off with the exception of the ones leading from Katniss's launch room to the control room.

There was an incoming call from the Capitol. Harry ignored it and checked a clock. His program back in the vault activated. Harry focussed at the television. Flickerman was still trying to comment on the situation.

And then it happened. The singularity in the vault's reactor destabilized and its containment field fell. There was a large implosion which crumpled the vault like an empty eggshell. The entire area above the vault was swallowed by the ground. The system of sewers and service tunnels under the city started to fall like a domino. That wasn't so surprising, considering that the structure of the centre of the city was leaning on the vault.

Flickerman wasn't even trying to do his job by that time. He was ignoring the camera and shouting at the people around, asking them what was happening. Suddenly the buildings in the background started to topple. A few moments later, tremors reached the building where the studio was. Flickerman ran. The camera fell down and its lens broke. The broadcast still continued for the time being so Harry decided that it was time to talk to the tributes.

"Everybody calm down and stay on your places, the mines are still active," he spoke to them, his voice echoing from the "sky". "The Games have been cancelled because, well, all the Gamemakers are dead and no one is watching anyway. Now, in case some of you have a problem to believe that, I'll release my allies first. Then I'll deactivate the mines around all the remaining tributes, starting with District 10 and going up. There's a high probability that the Peacekeepers stationed here will try to detain us. I strongly advise you to stick to Katniss and to follow her lead if you want to live."

Harry deactivated the land mines around Katniss, Rue, and Thresh while he spoke. Rue tentatively stepped off her metal plate. Nothing happened. That spurned Katniss into action and she made a beeline for a bow.

"Come on, Thresh!" called Rue.

The big guy didn't know what to think about the whole thing. Alas, he couldn't keep standing on his plate so he followed the example of his friends. In the meantime, Katniss shook all arrows out of a quiver. She took some of them in her draw hand and some more in her bow hand.

"This is bullshit!" cried Cato and made a step towards the Cornucopia. There was an explosion and his bits and pieces rained all over the place.

"That was anticlimactic," muttered Rue.

"That was stupid," commented Harry. "I have things to do here so I'll leave you for now. The mines will be deactivating in a thirty seconds interval. Starting now. You can watch my address to Panem while you wait."

The Capitol broadcast stopped. Harry pressed a button and the radio transmitter of the arena retuned from a setting which allowed for a duplex communication with the control centre in the Capitol to a broadcast setting which filled most of the void created in the ether by the destruction of the city. He sat in front of the video call terminal and started his own show. The big screen on the wall remained black. That was good. If he couldn't see the news feed, than nobody else in the catacombs could.

"My dear Americans, citizens of Panem, dwellers of the districts, or whatever you prefer," opened Harry. "My name is Harry Potter and I have two important news. The good news is that the Hunger Games have been cancelled. This year and forever. The bad news is that there was a terrible accident in the Capitol. You've already seen some of this happening right behind Flickerman's back. What you don't know is that the entire main area of the Capitol is in ruins now. Only a few outskirts survived. You also don't know why this happened. I assure you that this was truly an accident, there's no war going on. I'll explain soon enough but first I need to implore all of you in districts, in the Capitol outposts, and even you in District 13 to remain calm and take no rush actions. Stay tuned, I'll be back in about thirty seconds."

Harry switched the broadcast back to the overhead camera capturing the Cornucopia and the area around it. The crippled boy from District 10 stepped off his plate already and was limping towards Harry's friends with his hands raised. The girl was unsure at first but then she followed him. There was no sign of any Peacekeepers on the surface yet.

Harry checked on Cinna and Portia next. He was glad to see that they had managed to rendezvous with each other and were headed his way, pistols in hand. Harry sighed when he noticed that they were pointing the guns on the floor in front of them. At least they weren't pointing the guns at each other. Harry didn't fancy the idea of pulling a bullet from Cinna's buttock.

All the guards were trying to contact the control room. Harry was ignoring them. He couldn't see properly in the dark areas but he made out a huddle of people near Cinna's and Portia's route. He lowered and locked a blast door to cut them off.

Harry returned to the communication terminal, grabbed the sheet paper and the pen he had prepared, and continued his broadcast. This time, he left the feed from the arena running in a corner of the video.

"I hope that you are still watching this and that you haven't started to murder each other for no reason yet. Why has this tragedy befallen the Capitol you ask? To answer shortly, it happened because Snow was a delusional fool with no regard for the safety of his city. A proper explanation requires a brief overview of the Capitol's history. As some of you might know, the founders of the Capitol didn't come out of nowhere and they didn't build their city on a greenfield. Where is the Capitol today, there has been only a pre-war anti-nuclear bunker two centuries ago."

While he was speaking, he drew a simple picture on his paper. It consisted of a flat line and a small rectangle under it. The line represented a surface. He held the paper up in front of the camera.

"This bunker wasn't like the one under District 13, if you know what I'm talking about. It was a vault with only one purpose and one purpose only - to stay hidden from enemies of this nation and to ensure survival of human civilisation should the worst come to pass. It was filled with soldiers, engineers, scientists, and even artists. Their task was to return to the surface after a century, to build a city over the vault, and to contact any other survivors. A noble cause, wouldn't you think? Unfortunately, something went wrong. We can't be sure what exactly it was but it seems that there was some kind of a revolt. Some scum-bags took over the vault and when they emerged prematurely, they didn't come as saviours but as conquerors. They did build a city around the vault, constructing both on the surface and underground."

Harry drew again. When he held the paper up, there were some rectangles representing buildings above the line and a random maze of smaller lines under it representing the sewers.

"Using the vault as a foundation was a logical decision which was planned when the vault was being built. What was utterly foolish was their decision not to disconnect the primary power source of the vault. This power source was no ordinary reactor. It required no fuel and it was impossible to turn it off and dismantle it. When energy was being drawn from it, it destabilised. To put it simply, the vault dwellers were supposed to stop using this power source after some time. But they didn't. They kept using it, especially during the rebellion of the districts. However, what is most mind boggling is the fact that they exploited this power source to make the Hunger Games possible. You see, an activated arena requires as much energy as the whole Capitol. Moreover, they had to supply enough energy to all the districts to enable their citizens to watch the Games. The only way to meet these power requirements was to draw power from the vault. In other words, every year, for about two weeks, the reactor was moving towards the end of its life-cycle. Every Games were yet another nail in the Capitol's coffin."

Harry paused for a moment. Most of the land mines were deactivated by that point but many tributes were reluctant to step off their plates, Cato's death being still fresh in their memory. Harry didn't see Cinna or Portia but that didn't mean anything because he didn't set the monitors to cover their whole route.

"By this moment, many of you probably wonder who am I and why did I bother to pretend to be a tribute," continued Harry. "I'm one of the people who built the vault centuries ago and created its source of power. Obviously, such a dangerous piece of technology couldn't have been left without supervision. Hence, one of us had to be put in stasis and buried deep underground. Stasis is a special kind of sleep similar to being frozen. I was roused from this sleep by an emergency signal from the vault. I learned what the situation was and I sent a message to President Snow's computer. I warned him that the Capitol was going to be destroyed unless he cancels the Games. His response left a lot to be desired. He threatened that he was going to find me and have me executed. He also claimed that the vault was eternal which was completely delusional. I had no way to access the power source and thus couldn't possibly prevent it from going critical. Hence, I've decided to try to mitigate the chaos which was certainly going to erupt as a result of the Capitol's destruction. That required me to become a known person around here. The easiest way to do that was to volunteer as a tribute."

Harry leaned back in his chair, put his elbows on the table, and interlocked his fingers.

"And that leads us to the current moment. All of you have two choices. You can decide to become the savages you had been before the vault people gave you order. You can start plundering, settling old scores, and murdering people at random. That wouldn't be such a good idea because there aren't that many of you left and because Panem isn't alone in this world. The other option is to learn to live in peace without the Capitol's yoke. As for the Peacekeepers currently stationed in districts, well, most of them are from District 2 and I think that they would prefer to go home. You should also know that there is still a force in Panem which can provide temporary stability. It's District 13. Yes, they are still around and they've been preparing for a day like this for last 74 years. Speaking of which, two of their agents are coming here and I believe that it's them who should be talking to you right now. After all, I'm a complete stranger here."

Harry resized the feed from the arena over the whole image of the broadcast. He took one look at it, leaned to the microphone again, and said, "Behave yourself. I'll be back."

He checked the surveillance cameras again. A group of Peacekeepers were attempting to open a service exit to the surface. It was only a matter of time before they were going to succeed. Harry didn't know what was their intention but he wagered that most of them were from the Capitol. He also realized that while it was possible for them to know about the destruction of the Capitol, it had not been possible for them to watch Harry's explanation. Hence, he activated all traps around the area of the exit.

He accessed the power control of the arena afterwards. He cut electricity to all systems which he didn't need - like the barrier around the arena. Because there were no physical walls (much less a ceiling for that matter), it was possible to leave the arena on foot in some places from that moment on. He left the antenna, cameras and traps in the arena, and the systems in the catacombs alone.

It was time to fetch Cinna and Portia. Harry was sure that somebody was going to try to reclaim the control room sooner or later so he programmed its door to automatically open in eight minutes. When he left the room, he locked the door and destroyed the unlocking device.

He also considered using his Time-Turner again. Not immediately but after his return. That way the control room would never be unmanned. He decided against in the end. He didn't like using the device so openly.

In the meantime, Katniss and her friends were having a little stand-off with the tributes from the top two districts. They wanted to grab weapons but they haven't declared yet what their intentions were. The other tributes were positioned either aside the whole scene or behind Katniss and Thresh. The ones aside were the stronger ones who kept running away as an option. The two tributes from District 4 were among them but they kept their distance from everybody else. The weakest tributes were too afraid even of that and Katniss protective nature calmed them. In that regard, putting Katniss in charge had been a smart move from Harry.

"Don't be ridiculous," shouted Katniss at the three tributes from districts 1 and 2. "The Games are over."

"Unless it's all lies and Harry is working with the Gamemakers," sneered Foxface.

Clove ignored the comment and retorted, "They are for Cato." She felt unsure without him. Not that she missed the stupid oaf but she had had a survival plan which involved using him.

"Oh come on," exclaimed Rue. "He was killed by his own stupidity. Which we should consider good news because he was a loose cannon."

"Loose cannon?" asked Thresh, not understanding the analogy.

"It's just something that Harry says," explained Rue. She pointed at Clove and continued, "By the way, you of all people should appreciate what have we done. They were setting you up! The Gamemakers, President Snow, even people from your own support team."

"I find that a little hard to believe," snapped Clove. "They told me that I was going to win!"

"Exactly! Have they also put the idea of using Cato into your head? They weren't setting you up to lose, they were setting you up for something even worse! For victory!"

That stumped Clove. And the tributes from District 1.

"Now wait a minute, that's ridiculous," said Glimmer. She considered herself to be a perfect victor.

"If the people who usually exploit services of victors were interested in women like you, they would use much cheaper options than a victor," insisted Rue. "Now Clove on the other hand, that's a girl with spirit. And she's younger and knows nothing. More fun to break."

Katniss made a face. Had Harry discussed that with Rue?

Marvel looked at Clove and when he saw her incomprehension on her face, he exclaimed, "What does that mean, knows nothing? Surely they have explained things to you, Clove."

Clove made no answer so Rue told Marvel, "And have they told you that not all of your clients would be women?"

"Well, yes..."

"They lied! Majority of them would be older men and the rest would be old hags!"

"Rue! Has Harry been discussing these things with you?" cried Katniss out. "Because this stuff starts to creep even me and Thresh out."

"That's what I like about Harry, he doesn't treat me like a kid. Obviously, I'm not - since I'm old enough to be here."

Clove was arguing with Glimmer and Marvel in hushed tones. Thresh kept gripping his sickle, prepared for a hostile move from them.

Harry found Cinna and Portia in quite a sticky situation (at least for them). A group of Peacekeepers had attempted to detain them. Cinna had opened fire to keep them at bay. He wasn't very successful. The Peacekeepers were advancing and Cinna was running out of ammo.

Harry attacked the Peacekeepers from behind. He grabbed an arm of a Peacekeeper in the flank and twisted it behind his back. Using him as a shield, Harry gunned the others down before the Peacekeeper could free himself. Finally, he shoved the man forward and double tapped him in his back. Once again, the whole action took only a few seconds.

"Don't shoot, it's me," called Harry at the two stylists, who were still hiding behind a corner.

Cinna walked out of his cover and observed the carnage left by Harry's handiwork. He had trouble connecting the bodies he saw with the staccato of gunshots he had heard a moment before.

Harry followed his gaze and remarked, "What? Don't tell me that they haven't taught you how to pull stunts like that in District 13."

Cinna made no answer. Portia, who had seen Harry in action before, said, "We've never been to 13."

"What? How can you two be spies if you have no spy training? To be a spy, you need three things: spy training, spy gadgets, and spy charm. Now, you two have a lot of charm, like that British agent and that Russian agent in that spy film..."

"Harry!" stopped him Portia. "Don't we have better things to do?"

"Oh yeah, I've almost forgot. Panem is descending into chaos right now because the Capitol was destroyed. I need you to talk to people to calm them down and prevent a bloody civil war. It wouldn't hurt to send a message to Coin."

"What? How?"

"We can broadcast from the local control centre. Follow me," answered Harry and jogged away. That wasn't what Portia was asking about but she and Cinna followed him.


	9. Endgame

Endgame

Katniss and her friends were on a good way to reaching an agreement with the careers. To be honest, Marvel and Glimmer had no great desire to fight. The only problem was Clove, who was still expecting some kind of a treachery.

Suddenly, a grating metallic sound followed by screams reached them.

"What was that?" asked several people at once.

"Peacekeepers, I guess," answered Rue. "They got to the surface and Harry prepared some traps for them."

"What if their intentions weren't even hostile?" objected Katniss.

"They are now," growled Thresh.

"Very well, time of a decision," declared Katniss. "Harry surely has a plan of getting us out of here already. Who knows, maybe District 13 will send help. In the meantime, we should stick together and defend each other against Peacekeepers. If you want to split, go ahead and do just that. But I'm warning you, it's a long walk to your home districts from here. You should also remember that all of the Panem is watching us right now. Our actions might either unify the people or set them against each other."

She nodded at Clove and continued, "You. Your district is one of the centres of the Capitol's military power. If this goes bad, it will be your home which will be the focus of any bloodshed."

Marvel ran his hand through his hair and admitted, "Very well, I agree." He started to walk toward Cornucopia and continued, "We'll need to form a strategy. I'm not sure..."

"But I am, as a matter of fact," interrupted him Katniss, asserting her authority. "Rue, get going. We need you to..."

"Be your eyes from above, I know," finished Rue. "I'll make a sound like a crow so you can find me later."

She ran towards a tree-line in the direction from which they had heard "Harry's" traps. Thresh wanted to object but she silenced him with a raised finger.

"Now wait a minute," objected Marvel to Katniss's leadership. Clove was about to second his sentiment.

Katniss turned at them and interrupted him, "You've been trained to kill children and you've got no experience. I've been trained to kill Peacekeepers and I've got vast experience. You've been pampered during your training while I was hunting for myself and my family since I was eleven. Me and Rue have been planning this with Harry for a long time while you are still unsure if the Capitol is truly gone. I'm not even talking about the fact that I'm the only here who knows how to use a gun."

"We get it, you're the best choice as a leader," interrupted her Thresh.

"Actually, Harry is. And he's put me in charge."

"Well, surprise us," sneered Clove. "What's your master plan?"

Katniss raised her bow and answered, "I'm the only one here who can fight them effectively at longer distances. Thresh and other strong spear throwers are going to come with me. They will form a middle line of defence. Remember, some of them carry SMGs with which they can hit you long time before you can kill them with a spear so make sure to hide behind trees. The rest of capable fighters will protect the non-combatants. Hide, keep low, and don't even thing about abandoning them. Remember that whatever you do will have political ramifications."

She nodded at Thresh, Marvel, and the male tribute from District 4 and told them to follow her.

"Wait," cried out the male tribute from District 3. "I know how to reactivate the land mines. That is, if they have been deactivated in a normal way."

"How long will that take?"

"I can prepare one every ten minutes. First one is going to take longer."

"That's too long. But dig a few of them out, if you wish. They might come handy later. And make sure to keep a bit of a distance from the others, just in case."

Katniss picked a knife to go with her bow and arrows while Thresh took two spears. The others armed themselves similarly. The four of them followed after Rue.

"Remember what Harry taught you about hitting an armoured enemy," reminded Katniss Thresh while they walked.

"You've been expecting this for the whole time," growled Thresh. "You could have told me."

"No, we couldn't. There were cameras everywhere, remember?"

Harry, Cinna, and Portia arrived to the control room. Just as Harry expected, there were Peacekeepers who were trying to cut the door open. They had no cover so it was like shooting fish in a barrel.

"How are we going to get inside?" asked Cinna when he saw the destroyed card reading device.

"The door will unlock soon enough," replied Harry. "Though I'm worried about the damage that was done on it."

The door unlocked in about thirty seconds. They pried it open with some difficulty.

Harry led his friends to a monitor and started a replay of the broadcast from the moment the tributes reached surface. He didn't wish to explain things twice. The time was of the essence so he played it in triple speed and told them to fast forward through irrelevant passages.

Harry checked the situation in the arena. "His traps" had killed several Peacekeepers. There were five of them left. They were headed towards Cornucopia and they seemed to have hostile intentions. Perhaps they hoped to take the tributes hostage.

Harry looked at the positions of Rue and of Katniss's group. There was still time to aid them. First, he deactivated all previously activated traps. He didn't wish to loose track of them. He explored his options and discovered a trap which released gas which gave people shakes. He waited till all Peacekeepers were in the area and then pushed a button. The Peacekeepers heard the sound of escaping gas, held their breath, and ran through it. It seemed to Harry that at least some of them took a whiff of the stuff.

The Peacekeepers reached a place where Harry could release poisonous snakes but he didn't want to do that. A bunch of snakes wasn't a weapon which he could control and he didn't wish for any of the tributes to get bitten. He had to hope that Katniss was going to be able to hold her own for the moment.

Harry grabbed a microphone and addressed Panem once more, "I'm back and it seems that the situation in the arena is getting hotter. I hope that you are still with us because I've brought two people who are far more qualified to comment both on what's happening here in the arena and all over Panem. Cinna and Portia - new stylists of District 12 and secret agents of District 13."

Cinna and Portia have just finished watching the part about the power source. Harry turned the microphone off and asked them whether they had any questions.

"Have you made all of this up?" asked Cinna.

"I'm afraid not. The Capitol is truly gone."

"I mean the rest of it!"

"No, I did not. Just look at the last images aired from there. That was no explosion. If somebody detonated a nuclear warhead there, you would know it. But this was something else obviously - an implosion which caused the sewer system to collapse."

Harry pulled another chair to the video call terminal and added, "I'm sorry but it's time for you to talk to people."

"What should we tell them?" asked Portia.

"Whatever you want. They are confused and unsure about what is happening. You should also talk to Coin and tell her not to override my broadcast. People out there are watching their tributes and for first time, they are watching with hope."

Harry pointed at a computer station and continued, "You should mind the cameras. They are set to automatic switching and tracking when there's any movement but it still needs a human arbiter when there are multiple things happening at the same time. If you wish to project your voice into the arena, press this button. Try not to distract the tributes though. And don't try to use any traps."

"This could backfire if anything goes wrong," warned Cinna.

"Oh, have a little faith in Katniss. She can hold her own till I get there."

Harry pointed at a monitor where a map of the catacombs was displayed and explained, "Now, the plan is for the three of us to get to an underground heliport. It's just outside the arena's perimeter and a hovercraft is still there right now. I'll seal all the doors in the catacombs with the exception of the ones on the path there. I'll go first and clean the way, you follow after ten minutes."

"What if it leaves in the meantime?"

"Well, I have an alternative means of transport but it's meant for two people at most. Rue is small but I didn't account for Thresh so we are going to be overloaded as it is. I would leave all the other tributes in your care in that case till Coin sends an airlift for you. However, if they wanted to leave, they would do that already."

It didn't occur to either stylist to ask who was going to pilot that hovercraft.

Portia followed Harry to the door and locked it behind him. Cinna took the microphone and started, "Ehm, hello. This is Cinna. Katniss's stylist. First and foremost, I have a message for District 13. President Coin, if you are listening..."

Katniss spotted Rue in distance. She was on a tree, pointing downwards. Katniss stopped and made a gesture with her hand. Thresh recognized it from their ball fight session on the roof. He ducked behind a boulder.

"Was that supposed to mean something?" whispered Marvel.

"Yes, it means to take cover," hissed Thresh.

The male tribute from District 4 hid as well. Katniss scanned the terrain in front of them while moving slowly forward. She took cover behind a tree. A group of five Peacekeepers was coming. All of them wore white uniforms which was rather foolish - they stood out. Katniss turned to the three boys behind her a made a gesture to stay put.

She prepared three arrows in her right hand so that the ends of the arrows were between her fingers. She took two more in her mouth and left the rest on the ground. She took a deep breath and stepped out of her cover while drawing. There was a Peacekeeper in the front. He carried an SMG. Katniss released the arrow and sidestepped while drawing another one. She shot at another Peacekeeper armed by an SMG. The first arrow found its target, killing instantly. The other men raised their weapons and spotted the attacker just when she released yet another arrow and hid behind a tree. Unlike the first two arrows, the third wasn't aimed properly and hit a Peacekeeper in his thigh (he wore no armour). Only then Katniss allowed herself to take a moment and realize how easy it was to kill somebody.

The two unharmed men opened fire from their pistols. They fully realized what have happened only after emptying their magazines. It should be noted that only a few bullets hit the tree behind which Katniss was hiding. They were momentarily stunned by the fact that two of them were killed by simple arrows so quickly. The third one sat up and started to fire as well. His aim was way off.

Katniss leaned out of her cover partially and shot an arrow from a position in which she couldn't possibly aim. The arrow didn't hit anything but it was still enough to scare the two standing Peacekeepers. One of them ran to hide behind a tree and the other dived to the ground and started to crawl toward an SMG. The injured one started to reload. Katniss stepped from behind the tree towards her previous cover (where the rest of her arrows were). The crawling man was the most dangerous one at the moment but Katniss didn't have a clear shot at him. She decided to pull another trick from her sleeve. She aimed up and drew only partially. Upon release, the arrow followed a ballistic trajectory. She didn't hit anything, of course, but she achieved something else. The arrow stuck itself in the ground in front of the crawling Peacekeeper, right between him and the SMG he was after. That convinced him to retreat.

Thresh was gesticulating wildly from his position. Katniss made an imperious face and repeated her gesture to stay put. At least all three boys managed to stay hidden. That gave her an idea.

"What's up?" she called at the Peacekeepers. "Five Peacekeepers can't handle one little girl? I'm all alone here. I hope your colleagues in the districts won't try anything because the people would eat them alive after seeing this!"

"Just wait till reinforcements get here!" yelled the injured Peacekeeper.

Katniss raised her face to the sky and shouted, "Is he telling the truth? Are more of them coming?"

It took a moment before Cinna realized that she was talking to him. He pressed the button and answered, "No, you've got a lot of time. Officers, I believe that you should turn around and leave."

The injured Peacekeeper snarled and started firing. The sound wasn't coming from any particular direction so he fired all around him. His colleagues were pinned down by his tantrum. Katniss considered shooting him but once again, she didn't have a clear shot because he was on the ground.

Suddenly, Katniss heard Rue's voice from behind, calling her name. She turned around and there she was, laying on the ground, hidden from the Peacekeepers. She was holding two pistols. Obviously, she had collected them from the place where Harry's first traps had activated.

"Rue!" hissed Katniss. She didn't know whether to be angry at her for taking such a risk or proud.

Rue tossed one of the guns to Katniss. When she saw Katniss's somewhat startled face, she whispered, "Don't worry. They are empty." She tossed the other gun and four full magazines.

Katniss picked them up and checked them. Rue was right. Harry had probably told her how to do that.

In the meantime, the injured Peacekeeper ran out of ammo. His "friends" were quite relieved by that. The injured one tried to remove the arrow from his leg and roared in pain.

Katniss inserted magazines in both guns. She put one of them in a pocket of her pants and pulled the slide of the other. There was no point in having two guns but she wasn't sure whether she was going to be able to switch clips in a middle of a fight.

The injured Peacekeeper started to crawl to an SMG. He used a bush as a cover, believing that Katniss was unable to send an arrow through it. Unfortunately for him, Katniss had a gun. She made sure that she was at arms length away from the tree she was hiding behind, leaned right while moving her right foot in the same direction, took aim, and squeezed, making sure not to drag her aim down. She didn't hit the crawling man but she hit a branch of a bush she was shooting through. A spray of tiny splinters "hit" the Peacekeeper instead. For some reason, the man did the stupidest thing he could. Perhaps he panicked. He stood up and attempted to limp to a nearest tree. Katniss fired again, hitting her target in a shoulder, and retreated behind a tree again using her right leg like a spring. The man fell to the ground. The other two Peacekeepers were shocked even more than before but they opened fire as soon as they got over it.

"I've got an idea," whispered Katniss at Rue but nothing could be heard. She resorted to gestures instead. She pointed at her herself, raised a gun, and pointed at the attackers. Then she pointed at Thresh (who couldn't see her at the moment because he was taking cover) and made a circle with her hand. Rue nodded and crawled away.

In the meantime, the (heavily) injured Peacekeeper attempted to stand up again. As bad luck would have it, one of the other Peacekeepers fired his gun at the moment. The injured one got in his line of fire. A bullet went straight through his brain.

"You're all going to kill yourself off at this rate," taunted Katniss. Then she peeked from her cover, aimed, and hit a tree behind which one of the enemies were hiding. It wasn't a wasted bullet - she was proving to them that she knew how to shoot.

Rue reached Thresh and told him what the plan was. She didn't have to explain anything, he knew enough about tactics from their sessions with Harry. Katniss opened covering fire which distracted the two Peacekeepers enough to allow Thresh to slip away unseen.

Thresh was about to approach the Peacekeepers from a side. Katniss emptied the rest of her magazine while walking forward to another tree to allow him to get as near as possible. She dropped the gun and drew the second one, using strength of both both her arms to load a round. The Peacekeepers returned fire but Katniss suspected that they were running out of ammo.

Thresh and Katniss made an eye contact and he nodded at her. Next part of the plan was risky, at least for Katniss. She ran out from her cover and advanced at the enemy while covering herself with gunfire. It looked like some kind of a crazy assault. The Peacekeepers were about to gun her down when they heard a roar from a side. They turned in that direction but a spear was already in the air. It found its mark right above the neckline of the armour of one of them, just like Thresh had practised during their training. The other Peacekeeper fired a few shots but Thresh hid behind a tree.

"Drop it!" bellowed Katniss. It was her who was in a flank position this time around.

Thresh peeked from behind his cover but Katniss gestured to him to stay put. The Peacekeeper didn't seem to be willing to comply with her request.

"You can't have more than a bullet or two left anyway," added Katniss.

The Peacekeeper started to turn slowly towards her. She wasn't about to let him do that and performed a very amateurish Mozambique.

"You've actually managed to perform it just like we trained!" commended them Rue.

Thresh wordlessly pulled his spear out of a Peacekeeper. Katniss collected ammunition from the last two Peacekeepers. They didn't have enough bullets between the two of them to fill a magazine.

"I bet these are using the same ammo," theorized Rue and squatted to pick an SMG.

"Don't touch it!" warned her Katniss. "Harry didn't told us how to operate them."

"I'm pretty sure they won't fire unless I pull the trigger," disagreed Rue. "And I have a feeling that this button here has the same function as a similar button on a handgun."

She took the weapon and pressed the magazine release. It fell out. She picked it up and turned it so Katniss saw the ammo.

"Very well," admitted Katniss.

Marvel arrived and bent to pick a handgun. It was empty but Katniss stopped him anyway.

"Stop! Don't even think about it!" she barked. "Harry and I have been wondering why were these pistols designed in the way they are. It's quite clear actually. It's because the Capitol didn't want anybody who wasn't trained specifically for these weapons to be able to operate them safely. You would be just as likely to shoot yourself as much as a Peacekeeper. We don't have enough ammo anyway."

"We could take some more from those Peacekeepers killed by Harry's traps," pipped Rue.

"No, it's too risky," refused Katniss. "And we need to get back to the others."

"Why don't we wait for them at the exit from the catacombs?" asked Thresh.

"Because there are other exits. No, this offensive strategy won't work again and they could evade us and attack the others instead. We need to focus on defence and play for time. It won't be long before Harry comes."

Katniss and Rue finished collecting ammo and arrows. Katniss also deprived the dead Peacekeepers of two pistol holsters. The five of them jogged away to the Cornucopia.

Portia checked the security cameras. Harry was progressing towards their destination, leaving carnage behind him.

"I think we should go," she said.

Cinna nodded. He thought for a moment and checked cameras and sensors in the arena before he projected his voice into the arena one last time.

"Katniss? I just want to tell you that the coast is clear at the moment. I believe that more will come but we need to get going. Good luck. You are doing unbelievingly good job so far."

Katniss raised her hand in response. Cinna switched the voice projection off. He advised Coin to let the broadcast run for as long as possible before starting her own broadcast. Not that he had any way of knowing whether or not was she airing her own address to Panem already and whether there was anybody out there who could still watch what was happening.

Before leaving, Cinna and Portia smashed the room.

Katniss and her four companions made a short stop at the Cornucopia before following after the others. They found them in another part of the woods in a clearing. The boy from District 3 was aside from the others, working on the mines already.

"We need to move to a place where we can hide better," announced Katniss. "Our ambush was successful but they won't underestimate us next time. So we need to prepare our defence and hold tight till help arrives."

"What help?" asked Clove sceptically. "You mean Potter?"

"Either him and our stylists or a hovercraft from District 13. I would prefer the former though."

"Why?" asked Thresh.

"Because they are most likely to detain us for a week and question us about what we know about what happened. I don't know about the rest of you but I want to go home. Right now."

Katniss approached Glimmer and told her, "You didn't do very well with a bow during the training but I'm sure you can hit a Peacekeeper from a middle distance. If they get that close, I'll switch to pistols. You can have the bow in that case."

Katniss handed Glimmer half of the arrows wrapped in a sheet of plastic. "Take these, don't loose them," she said. To Glimmer's credit, she didn't make any saucy retort even though it had to be strange for her to accept instructions from somebody from a lower district.

They found a good defensible position. Rue left to scout and Katniss positioned the people. She divided everybody into four groups. A long range group consisted only of herself. A middle group contained spear throwers and Glimmer. Clove and the girl from District 4 formed a short range group. Everybody else was in a non-combat group. Not everybody in that group was unarmed but they weren't part of Katniss's defence plan. Rue belonged to no team, she was a scout.

Katniss checked on the progress of the boy from District 3. He was close to reactivating first one. She instructed him to come to her as soon as it was finished. Then she left and started to make some "normal" traps.

"Why are we even still here?" whispered Marvel to the boy from District 4 once Katniss was out of earshot. "We were lucky the first time around but this babysitting could get us killed."

Thresh overheard him and couldn't let it go without a response. "Let me point point out one important detail to you. District 1 is the only district which is completely useless right now. You were important for the Capitol but you won't find any customers in the districts. But maybe some districts will take pity on you and send you some food if you and Glimmer represent your district in best possible light."

Marvel frowned and bit down his retort.

Cinna and Portia were hurrying down the corridors. They collected some extra magazines along the way but left any bodies mostly alone. They came across a sealed door which was being cut through. There was nothing they were able to do apart from picking up the pace.

They caught up with Harry after a few minutes. He had armed himself with an SMG at some point and was mowing any opposition down with precise bursts. It was mostly disorganized stragglers who got trapped in Harry's corridor. Cinna called at him to let him know that it was them.

"They are cutting through," informed Portia.

"Where?" asked Harry.

They told him.

"Luckily I've still got tricks in my sleeve," joked Harry and punched a code in a nearby pad. A blast door lowered behind them.

"That will work only on Peacekeepers behind us," reminded him Cinna.

"I know. As a matter of fact, I would program the doors to seal progressively if I was alone. However, this approach is more robust."

A door in front of them opened and two panicked Peacekeepers emerged. For some reason, they had no idea that they were running into danger. Harry thumbed the fire selector to full auto and gunned them both down.

"Harry, I think they are unarmed," deadpanned Cinna.

"Were," murmured Harry. "Follow me. Don't shoot me in my posterior."

They reached another door which was being cut through. They arrived to it just when the people on the other side were kicking the cut part out. Harry started firing into the created hole, surprising the people on the other side.

"We need to hurry," he snapped at his companions. Not that he had to tell them that.

They rushed forward and sealed another door behind them.

"It's a very dynamic scenario, don't you think?" remarked Harry while they ran. "I mean, we fight our way through these catacombs and at the same time, Katniss and the others are repelling Peacekeepers on the surface. It's a pity that the audience can see only a half of it."

"Harry! People are dying!" admonished him Cinna.

"Yes, I know. That's because I'm killing them. By the way, that was quite low. I'm going to respond with an under-belt of my own: People have been dying in Hunger Games every year."

Rue dropped to the ground next to Katniss and the boy from District 3. He was explaining to her how to do the final step of turning the land mine on.

"A group of Peacekeepers entered the arena," reported Rue. "About ten of them."

That was roughly the same number as before, if the ones that Harry had killed by traps were counted.

"I think they've got a rough idea where are we hiding," continued Rue. "And they knew that I was watching them."

"Our trackers," deduced Katniss.

"Yes, that must be it," agreed the boy from District 3. "I think I've heard that we were making some hand-held devices for that in our district."

"Maybe we could take those trackers out," proposed Rue.

"That's a great way to get infection," disagreed Katniss. She didn't like an idea of any kind of "surgery", not even a dermal one. "I've got a better idea."

She had said before that they needed to focus on defence but she decided to pull one last stunt at the Peacekeepers. She took a bomb from the boy and sent both kids back to the "camp".

"Tell them to lie low and prepare for an attack," she instructed. "And tell them not to throw any spears at me when I'm returning."

A group of Peacekeepers (all Capitol citizens) progressed towards the position from which they were getting the strongest echo. That indicated many tributes together. It seemed that at least one of them was nearer than the rest.

Suddenly, there was a swish and one of the men fell dead, an arrow sticking out of his neck. It was just that one shot because Katniss was quite far away. The Peacekeepers raised their weapons but not a single shot was fired because they weren't even sure from where exactly the arrow came. They made a wide formation and started to pursue the attacker, not looking under their feet properly. They clambered through wood for about a hundred meters, following a solitary echo.

There was a sound of uncoiling wood and one of the men started to scream. A wooden spike of a simple trap was embedded in his leg. The others started to curse in anger. Their leader told them to form three columns (each of them had three men), progress carefully, and watch the path. After all, the kids weren't going anywhere.

They discovered two more traps. The leader didn't like the fact that they were too haphazard and obvious. He suspected that there were more, better hidden ones. He led his column down a path where there was absolutely no under-brush. That decision led him straight onto a land mine.

There was an explosion. The leader was killed instantly and a Peacekeeper behind him died in a short while. Last one in the column was partially covered by the men in front of him but he was still disabled. The most important thing was that the tracker-tracking device was destroyed.

The other six Peacekeepers started cursing and firing all around them. In the ensuing chaos, they failed to notice that yet another Peacekeeper was shot by an arrow. When they did, Katniss was long gone.

Harry dived into a hangar and gunned down two Peacekeepers who were guarding a hovercraft. To be honest, they were actually guarding two pilots. To prevent them from leaving. The pilots were unarmed.

Harry made contact with the concrete floor and sustained some scratches and skin-burns. He jumped up and let out a string of expletives. Cinna and Portia followed right after him. They aimed their handguns at the pilots who promptly raised their hands.

"Why have you done that?" asked Portia Harry in disbelief.

"I thought that it would look cool," murmured Harry.

"But there's no one watching!"

"Maybe not now but someday, someone is going to come here and check all the security recordings."

Portia made no answer and looked up at a security camera. It captured the heliport in such a way that Harry's aerial shooting couldn't have been seen probably. Harry cursed again.

"Excuse me, don't we have better things to think about?" exclaimed Cinna and walked up to the nearest pilot. He pointed his side-arm at him and asked in a threatening voice, "What's going on here? Why haven't you left yet?"

The pilots explained that the guards were preventing them from leaving because they wished to take the tributes hostage and take them to the stronghold in District 2.

Harry found some cable ties. He and Cinna tied the pilots. Harry took his SMG back from Cinna (he had given it to him before his "cool" dive). Both Cinna and Portia had their own SMGs strapped to their backs but Harry had forbidden them to use those for the time being.

"OK, I'll prep the hovercraft and open the ceiling," organized Harry. "Cinna, please guard the door. You can practice dry-firing that SMG of yours in the meantime. Don't actually fire, our ears are ringing enough as it is. Portia, find me a first aid kit, please. You can join Cinna afterwards."

Only after Harry boarded the hovercraft did Cinna turned away from the door and called after him, "Wait a minute! Are you going to fly this thing?"

Harry peeked out and responded, "You are talking to the best pilot who ever lived on this planet. Maybe with the exception of... No, no exceptions."

"Why I'm not surprised?"

"Exactly."

"I was talking about your arrogance."

Katniss returned to the others and told them, "There's only five of them left, just like before. Now, they may or may not still have the ability to track us..."

"Wait a minute, how many of them were there originally?" interrupted her Clove. "Rue said about ten."

"Yes, that's right," snapped Katniss. "And also completely irrelevant at this moment. Now, I propose to stay here. It's a better option if they can still track us and just as good as leaving if they can't. We are out of tricks we can pull at them. We'll make our stand here and hold till Harry arrives."

"That's it? Stay here and hope that Potter will save us?" argued Marvel. "How can we be even sure that he'll come?"

"He'll come," declared Rue. "Why? Because he believes that if we survive, it will somehow negate the deaths of all those Capitol citizens. And he's probably right because that's how a normal population thinks. And why would he want to do that? Because as soon as things calm down, some people might start blaming him for the whole thing. They will say that he should have tried harder to persuade Snow. But if we return home, people will focus on that. And don't remind me that Cato is dead. He was unstable and you know that."

Marvel didn't like being lectured by a small girl but he kept his mouth shut.

Katniss talked to the boy from District 3 who had finished yet another mine. She realized that the Peacekeepers were unlikely to fall for another trick and one mine wasn't going to form a proper mine-field.

"Can this be thrown?" she asked.

"I wouldn't recommend that. I would need to fine tune its sensitivity and I don't know how to do that."

Katniss contemplated her options for a moment. She grabbed a coil of wire and walked back into the wood, in the direction from which the Peacekeepers were probably coming. She tied the bomb to a tree of appropriate thickness. She triggered its activation and ran away. Glancing back, she spotted a movement.

Katniss returned to the others hastily and told them that Peacekeepers were coming. She asked Glimmer to stay close to her. She took a rope, found a convenient tree, and climbed it. The Peacekeepers came into view soon enough. They were using under-brush for cover but their white uniforms gave them away.

Holding herself on the tree only by her legs, Katniss draw the bow and took aim at an armoured Peacekeeper. She hid as soon as she released the arrow. The remaining Peacekeepers opened fire but they didn't know that the arrow came from a high position. Katniss motioned to the tributes to stay put.

"Don't you dare to move!" growled Thresh at several tributes, who seemed to be losing their nerve.

"They can't hit you here," seconded Rue. "But you'll catch a bullet the moment you stand up."

Katniss peeked out carefully. They weren't rushing their position. Instead, they progressed slowly, leaping from cover to cover. They still didn't think to look up.

Katniss decided not to push her luck. She reiterated her gesture for the tributes to stay down. At a right moment, she drew her bow again and aimed at the landmine. She released and the arrow hit the mine straight on. The pressure of the impact was enough to set it off. The tree fell down, barely missing two Peacekeepers who backed away before it could crush them. They went into disarray for a moment. Katniss dropped the bow and rappelled down. Glimmer picked the bow up.

"Aim well," said Katniss to Glimmer.

She drew a handgun and moved over to Thresh, keeping her head down.

"Listen up," she addressed everybody. "Whatever you do, do not panic. The moment you do is the moment you die. There's only four of them but they are careful and they won't underestimate us..."

"Ehm, Katniss?" interrupted her Rue.

"Yes?"

"There's no need for a speech. Harry's here."

There was no time to ask Rue how she knew that. A hovercraft de-cloaked above the Peacekeepers. At the same moment, a grapple for removing of dead tributes dropped down in free fall. A Peacekeeper under it attempted to evade. He got his head out of the way but half of his body was still crushed.

The hovercraft tilted sideways and flew above the remaining men, dragging the grapple and its chain right between them. The grapple caught on a tree and its roots soon enough. Harry released the chain early rather then leaving it to uncoil fully before doing so. The effect of the whole manoeuvre on the Peacekeepers was profound.

Cinna and Portia peeked out of the hatch where the grapple had been and opened fire from their SMGs. Neither of them was a good shoot but the weapons were more precise than handguns and they had a superior position. One of the Peacekeepers was injured, the others took cover and returned fire. Cinna and Portia hid but the two Peacekeepers kept firing at the aircraft.

"Dammit, do something about them!" cursed Harry. He didn't want to risk damage to the flight systems by some lucky shot.

Katniss crept up behind the Peacekeepers. She took aim carefully and killed one of them. The other stepped quickly around the tree he was hiding behind. The injured one attempted to join the fight but Katniss put a bullet in his head before he could lift his weapon.

Cinna reopened fire. The last Peacekeeper attempted to find some cover but it was geometrically impossible. He caught a bullet from Cinna. Katniss left her own cover and approached the fallen Peacekeeper with her handgun aimed. The man tried to turn to her. She squeezed the trigger and it was over. She breathed out in relief but she remained alert. There were some injured Peacekeepers in the wider area still.

The hatch in the hovercraft closed and another one opened. A ladder lowered from it.

"Let's go! Move!" shouted Katniss. "Rue, get over here. Now!"

She put Rue and the crippled boy from District 10 on the ladder. They were electrified and lifted up. Cinna and Portia helped them off the ladder.

They started to uplift the remaining tributes, two at the time. Thresh stayed behind with Katniss

"You know, I have a feeling that you could have done this without any of us," remarked Thresh while yet another pair of tributes was being lifted up. Of course, he wasn't accounting for Harry, Portia, and Cinna but that was understood.

"You are forgetting about Rue," disagreed Katniss. "And you and our bomb expert, of course."

Thresh didn't reply but his meaning was clear. Of all the tributes, it was Katniss who killed all the Peacekeepers with the exception of the one killed by Thresh.

Katniss was expecting an attack for the whole time but none came. Glimmer left her bow and arrows behind. Maybe she didn't think she would ever need a bow again. Katniss shook her head and collected them. Then she and Thresh were lifted up. Cinna and Portia helped them off the ladder and seated them. Only then did Katniss allow herself to relax.

She looked around and noted that Cinna and Portia were the only stylists there. None of the tributes seemed perturbed by that.

"Ladies and gentleman, let's get out of here," sounded Harry's voice over the cabin. "Please do not smoke during the flight and thank you for travelling with Air America."

Cinna and Portia rolled their eyes. Harry had made sure to find out how to operate the intercom and had even enlisted their help in checking whether his voice was truly relayed to the passengers.

The hovercraft tilted and started to move. Marvel's eyes met Katniss's and he tried to convey his feelings about the pilot. Of course that it was Harry who was piloting the craft. It was unavoidable for him to turn out to be a pilot as well after all that he did that day. Marvel didn't even bother to be shocked by that, as if he was disconnected from reality. Katniss had to admit that he took all that had happened better than Cato could possibly have. Cato was used to getting everything he wanted and being on top of the food chain. He would never accept being saved by somebody he hated.

Clove was staring out of the window, her face expressionless. Katniss wondered what was she thinking about. Rue and Thresh hugged each other (which made Thresh uncomfortable). Suddenly, it was as if Thresh was Rue's big brother all along. Rue apologized for lying to him and repeated her explanation with the cameras. Thresh didn't care. He was just glad that his and Rue's survival were no longer a contradiction.


	10. Homecoming

Homecoming

Harry engaged the autopilot and went to the back of the aircraft where the others were.

"OK, listen up, I've got some bad news," he addressed everybody, going straight to the point. "I tried to engage the cloaking system. I mean, I did engage it. The problem is that it was damaged partially during the fire-fight. It might still provide some optical cover but we'll be perfectly visible on radars. I'm not even talking about our transponder which surely can't be disconnected neither quickly nor easily."

Harry paused. Most people had no idea what was he talking about. Maybe transponders weren't called transponders any more for all he knew.

"My point is that they can find us, if they decide to intercept us. I'm talking about air forces from outskirts of the Capitol and District 2. And I haven't noticed any weapons on this hovercraft so far."

"There aren't any," confirmed Cinna. He and Portia knew that much.

Harry turned to the boy from District 3. "Do you have any bombs left?" he asked.

The boy lifted his knapsack up and answered, "Two."

"Very well, we might need them yet. Come to the cockpit afterwards. And bring a tool-kit. It should be somewhere around here. Now, some of you might wonder where are we going. I can't play a taxi driver for you because this vessel might not be able to make all the trips and because I believe that it would be best to stay away from the Capitol and District 2. A common sense would dictate to head for the airspace of District 13 as quickly as possible and call for help. By the way, there's a radio here. Can you contact Coin, Cinna?"

"We never needed to contact them directly," answered Cinna. "It was always through a proxy."

"No matter, we aren't going all the way to District 13 anyway. I don't trust them. Even if they know not to shoot us down, they will still want to detain us. So, we are going in that direction now but not quite. Our current course will take us to a northern edge of District 11. I understand that Katniss is concerned about the safety of her family but considering that the Peacekeepers in District 12 are quite mellow and friendly, I don't think that they will be in trouble. On the other hand, families of Rue and Thresh are probably in danger. As for the rest of you, I don't think you need to hurry home. We will pass in vicinity of two other districts but even if I was willing to make a detour, I wouldn't advise any of you to leave our little group just yet. The safest place for all of you is right here with me."

They discussed the matter. Finally, it was decided that Katniss, Portia, and Cinna would disembark at their destination, commandeer a vehicle, and go north to District 12 on their own. Cinna and Portia would then continue to District 13 (which was even further north) for debriefing. Clove decided to join them and take a ride home with the Peacekeepers of District 12. That was quite surprising because one would expect her to remain with her former "pack". He also wasn't sure if it was wise for her to go to District 2 but maybe she was going to be able to do some good there. Harry and the others were going to remain in District 11 and secure the families of Rue and Thresh.

At last, he asked Portia whether she had any medical skills. She answered affirmatively. There was a med-kit so he told her to remove all trackers. He suggested that Katniss should explain to Thresh how to use Peacekeeper side-arms. Finally he asked Cinna to follow him to the cockpit and they left. The boy from District 3 searched for a tool-kit.

When the boy reached the cockpit, Harry was explaining to Cinna what some of the instruments were for. Harry nodded at the boy and told Cinna to keep an eye on things and familiarize himself with the displays.

Cinna said, "I hope you aren't going to play with those mines here."

"Of course not," replied Harry cheerfully. "We'll take it back to the corridor. Don't worry, I..."

"...am the best pyrotechnic on this planet," interrupted him Cinna. "I've heard something like that before."

"Actually not. I've just received a standard training in this area."

As Harry followed the boy out, he told him, "By the way. You are lucky that you didn't get to use that trick in actual Games. Gamemakers and Snow especially never liked when tributes did unexpected things."

When they were done, Harry and the boy returned to the passenger cabin. They went straight to Thresh but before Harry started speaking, he gave everybody around a look to let them know to listen as well. He explained that both bombs were activated by pressing and releasing a make-shift button they had been added on each bomb. One bomb was set to moderate sensitivity and a short activation period. The other had maximal sensitivity and slightly longer activation.

"Have you found out if we can reprogram the transponder, or whatever it is that you use in this century?" asked Harry when he returned to Cinna. "Or have you found out where exactly it is at least?"

"No, but I'm fairly sure that this display shows radar echoes and ID signals."

"Well, I don't want to be shot down by your friends from District 13. We need to find out how to signal to them if needs be. Isn't there some kind of universal frequency on which both the Capitol and District 13 would try to contact an unidentified aircraft?"

"Are you kidding? Such a thing was never ever needed for. Though maybe you should have asked those pilots about that."

"Don't be ridiculous. That would make me look like an idiot."

After a while, Cinna divulged, "You know, they aren't my friends actually. Neither me nor Portia have ever met them in person."

"Well, I hope they aren't going to shoot you when you reach the perimeter of their base."

An hour later, Cinna reported a blip on the radar. The blip split into two, both with Capitol transponder reply. Both of them were moving faster than their own aircraft.

"We've got company," reported Harry through the intercom. "Strap yourself in."

"What are we going to do?" asked Cinna.

"Destroy them both. The question is, how exactly are we going to play it?"

A button next to a communication panel started to blink and there was a beeping sound.

"What's that?" asked Harry.

"I guess they want to talk."

"Then why don't we hear something like 'Tango bravo calling an unidentified aircraft. Respond or be destroyed. Over.'?"

"I don't think that's how it's done. In this century, I mean," retorted Cinna. He still couldn't quite believe that Harry was centuries old.

"So we just push the button?"

"I guess."

"OK. I'd like you to talk to them. Be rather intimidating. Threaten them with District 13 if you want. Don't outright refuse their demands though. If they have any. The point is to get close to them."

Cinna nodded, grabbed a mouthpiece, and pressed the blinking button.

"This aircraft is under command of District 13," he started sternly. "Any hostility against us will be considered an attack on District 13. Over."

He released the talk button on the mouthpiece and awaited a response. The response was terse and rather angry.

"Land immediately or we'll open fire."

They didn't even bother to accuse them of a treason and terrorism. Cinna looked at Harry.

"They want us alive," affirmed Harry. "They would have started shooting ages ago. Try to play dumb."

Cinna nodded and responded, "Suit yourself, we surrender. We'll need some help though. We don't know where or how to land. The terrain here isn't exactly safe."

Once again, the response arrived shortly.

"Are you taking us for fools?! We saw you manoeuvre in the arena!"

Harry shook his head and whispered, "I'm not here!" He didn't need to, the microphone wasn't on.

Cinna answered, "That was Harry Potter. I'm Cinna, a former stylist of District 12 and a member of the defence force of District 13."

Harry raised his thumb.

Cinna continued, "Harry Potter programmed the autopilot and disembarked some distance away from the arena along with his allies. I have taken control of the aircraft afterwards and followed instructions of President Coin ever since. I'm supposed to bring the remaining tributes and myself to District 13 for questioning. The point is, I don't know how to fly this thing. You should also know that I notified my superiors that we were pursued by you. I advise you to think about consequences before you open fire."

Harry raised his eyebrows and both of his thumbs at Cinna's smooth lying. That was a bad idea. There was a gust of wind after he let go of controls and the aircraft dipped a little. Harry levelled it quickly.

Cinna pressed the talk button again quickly and added, "Have you seen that?! I've just tried to disengage the autopilot. If I were you I would hope that we won't crash because you might be blamed for that by your superiors afterwards."

Harry had a hard time to keep himself from laughing.

It took about thirty seconds before the pursuers answered, "Maintain your course and do not attempt to flee. We do not recognize your status. You are a traitor in a stolen hovercraft. We will open fire if needs be. Out."

The peculiar thing was that they didn't inquire who was President Coin. That signified that she had made her own address to Panem already as soon as Harry flew away from the arena.

"They are changing course," reported Cinna from the radar.

Harry engaged the autopilot and moved over to him.

"You are right," confirmed Harry. "They are no longer on an attack vector, they are moving into an escort position. I wonder what kind of a formation will they assume."

That question was answered in a few minutes. Harry expected them to take positions behind and in front of the hovercraft. Or behind it and next to it. Or behind it and anywhere else. Alas, neither of the interceptors took a position right behind them. The positioned themselves by the sides. To be fair, maybe that was their standard training. After all, all three aircraft were hovercraft (though the interceptors had thrusters for extra speed). Harry had training only for air-planes and helicopters.

"We have them right where we want them," commented Harry.

"We do?"

"Yes. Please go to the passengers and explain the situation to them. You should grab a safety cord on your way, if you see one. Make sure that everybody is in the central area. My friends probably know what needs to be done about the remaining interceptor but I'll direct them through intercom."

A while after Cinna left, Harry made sure that he was on intercom (and not on radio) and spoke to his passengers, "Everybody, strap down and prepare for impact. Thresh, I'm going to need you to throw those bombs at the interceptor which will be left afterwards. Cinna, Portia, please assist him and open a hatch for him. Make sure that all of you are secured. And don't drop those bombs on the floor!"

He was sure that most of the tributes and both Cinna and Portia didn't like what he said. However, no one came protesting to the cockpit.

Harry leaned left a little and levelled again. The enemy pilots probably thought that it was the autopilot's doing. Before they had a chance to mirror the move, Harry engaged the cloaking system and banked left again, hard. There was a crash. Metal scraped against metal. Harry yawed right. He was quite sure that the interceptor was out of the game.

"Thresh!" bellowed Harry in the intercom. "Get out of your seat!"

The other pilot was unskilled in dogfight. When he came out of his surprise and shock at the sudden demise of his wingmen, he tried to do a wide circle and get behind Harry. By that time, Harry was already flying against him.

"Ventral hatch, ventral hatch!" screamed Harry, as if he wanted to make sure that his voice would carry back naturally even without the intercom.

Thresh didn't know what ventral meant but Cinna did. He opened the ladder hatch while Portia secured him with a safety cord.

"I'll take this," shouted Cinna and reached for the bomb with a timer.

Thresh understood. The enemy was about to pass "under" them and he needed an impact bomb.

Harry pitched up. The enemy had two choices: go down or to a side. Another option (a suicidal one) was to go forward and perhaps start shooting. The pilot went down. Thresh was on the ladder by that time. Their speed wasn't great so the air currents around weren't too fast.

Thresh saw the enemy interceptor coming and threw his bomb. It clipped the interceptor on a side and exploded. Their own hovercraft was caught in the shock-wave and the current in the ladder went out. Thresh held on. Still, he was quite glad for the safety cord.

Harry remained hovering on spot and checked the systems. He concluded that they were still capable of flight and resumed course to District 11. He didn't trust the autopilot much but he set it to maintain heading, altitude, and speed. He went to the passenger area.

"That was absolutely amazing!" he exclaimed as soon as he arrived. "Please a round of applause for our team of bomb droppers."

His exuberance was met by twenty-four disbelieving stares.

"You almost got us all killed!" accused Cinna.

"But I didn't!" responded Harry, not letting the others to spoil his good mood. "Though I have to admit that the cloaking system is completely busted, our speed is down to sixty percent, some of the fuel cells were damaged and needed to be taken off-line..."

"Harry," interrupted him Rue. "I don't think we need to hear that."

"As you wish. Well, I'd better return to cockpit. You can rejoin me there any time you wish, Cinna."

Cinna wasn't in a mood to spend more time with Harry at the moment. Portia offered to take turns with him so he just explained to her the few instruments which she was supposed to watch and returned to the passenger area.

"Good to see Cinna being concerned about safety," remarked Harry after some time. "Considering the career choice you and him have made."

"What do you mean?" asked Portia, looking up from the radar screen.

"Well, spies in a highly visible place, no combat training. Did you have some kind of an escape plan or a backup for a time when something would inevitably go wrong?"

"Well, no. Our greatest weapon was secrecy."

"Secrecy? Like I've said, your position was quite visible. I don't know what was your plan but if it involved tributes, than Cinna's clothes would be in clear view for everybody. Most people would see only those clothes and tributes in them but President Snow didn't perceive the world that way. He would see you behind your work."

"We had no solid plan. We were just supposed to get into the games. And becoming stylists for District 12 was the easiest way to do it."

"Well, no need to ponder over it now. I just hope that they'll be glad for your survival in District 13."

After a few minutes of silence, Portia observed, "You have a strange way of speaking."

"Not strange," protested Harry. "Proper."

Portia furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"I'm from Britain," elaborated Harry.

That confused Portia even more and Harry had to explain. It was strange for her to hear about nations long gone. Harry didn't volunteer the detail that it was him who had advised the President to order a nuclear attack on Harry's own motherland.

"Hey, would you like to take my seat for a while?" asked Harry after some time.

"Why?" asked Portia. The idea intrigued her though.

"Because I could use a little bit of rest and I don't trust the autopilot."

Portia nodded and Harry explained the basic controls. Her first attempt at piloting resulted in a series of dips which caused Cinna to come and investigate. Harry engaged the autopilot (in a basic mode of maintaining a course) and left Cinna and Portia alone. He didn't go far though.

Portia woke him up in an hour. They reached the border of District 11. Harry retook the controls and told his copilots to start looking for a vehicle. There were cameras on the hovercraft which could serve Cinna and Portia instead of binoculars. Unfortunately, the ones on the left side were damaged or destroyed.

After some time, they spotted a Peacekeeper station. There was a terrain car parked next to it. Harry checked the station on IR and discovered four people hiding inside.

He informed the tributes through the intercom and landed. The IR signatures in the building moved.

"Clove, could you accompany me, please?" asked Harry when he reached the passenger area.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because those four Peacekeepers are most probably from your district. I need you to tell them to lay down their arms."

"Why would they listen to me?"

"Well, maybe they're scared and need to see one of their own to calm down."

They stepped outside and walked to the station. Harry had a pistol while Clove had only her knives. They reached the building and there was still no action from the people inside. Harry and Clove positioned themselves beside the door.

Harry whispered to Clove, "Introduce yourself and tell them to lay down their weapons. We mean them no harm."

Clove hesitated for a second before complying.

"Peacekeepers!" she shouted. "This is Clove. We know there are four of you in there. Are you all from my district?"

"Yes!" called somebody from inside.

"Lay down your weapons and surrender. We have a proposal."

What happened next surprised Clove immensely. There were sounds of firearms being laid down.

"We surrender," called somebody.

Harry and Clove entered. There were four Peacekeepers with their hands raised. They seemed rather scared.

"Check if they are really from District 2," ordered Harry.

Clove asked a few trivial questions. Their names, where did their families lived, details about the parts of District 2 which they were from, and such.

"I guess they are telling the truth," concluded Clove.

"Good. Don't move guys, Clove is now going to put your guns aside. Don't worry, you'll get them back."

Once she was done, Harry lowered his gun and said, "You can put your hands down. And stop staring at me as if was a mass murderer for crying out loud. Now, tell me the gist of what's been happening in this district ever since the Capitol was destroyed."

"Most of the district is pretty quiet. Because most locals and Peacekeepers went to the central town. And one other place."

"What place?"

The Peacekeeper answered and it rang a bell to Harry but he couldn't quite place it.

"Very well. Why have you been left here?" inquired Harry further.

"Our commander, a Capitol citizen, was called to the centre. He took most of the force with him and left us here to guard this area."

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but I don't think he expects you to survive. Now, some of my friends need keys for that vehicle outside and fuel."

A flicker of disappointment went over the expressions of the Peacekeepers (they wanted to use the car themselves) but they were confused even more.

"Keys?" asked their spokesman.

"Yes, keys. They want to drive away with it."

"I mean, what keys? The doors don't have locks on them."

"For the ignition!"

"Why would you need keys for that?"

The Peacekeepers clearly had no idea what was he talking about. Harry asked Clove to fetch Cinna, Portia, and Katniss. She didn't have to go far. All three of them were waiting outside the hovercraft already. She waved at them to come.

Suddenly, she heard two gunshots from inside the station. She turned and ran back. She imagined Harry executing all the Peacekeepers. Fortunately, all four men were all right when she returned. Harry was standing in front of a damaged machine.

"What happened?" she asked.

Harry pointed with his thumb at the machine and answered, "I had to bust their radio. They need to have an explanation for not calling this in."

Cinna entered, looking around warily. "Well?" he asked.

"They say that the car outside doesn't need keys to start its engine. Is it true?"

"Yes, I'm quite sure of that."

"But that's ridiculous. Anybody could drive away with that car."

"Like who?"

"Well, an inhabitant of this district for instance."

"That's suicide. Or would be just this morning. Where would he go? He would be caught and executed."

"I don't know. To District 13 for example. It doesn't matter any more, we all need to get moving."

They talked to the Peacekeepers some more and found out that the broadcast from the arena had continued till their departure on the hovercraft. President Coin had made her address only afterwards.

Cinna made sure that the tank was full. He sat behind the wheel and waited for Portia, Katniss, and Clove to get in.

"Why don't we take them with us?" asked Clove and nodded towards the police station.

"Not a good idea," replied Harry. "To mix them with the Peacekeepers from District 12. These have dipped their fingers. By association at least. It's better this way."

"How do we contact you?" asked Katniss.

"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on you."

Katniss understood. He was going to resolve the situation in District 11 and ensure that everything was going to go smoothly in District 12 at the same time. Hence, certain rules would have to be adhered to. Again.

She nodded and closed the door. Cinna started the engine. As they drove away, Katniss watched Harry walk back to the hovercraft. She leaned back in her seat and dozed off.

Harry returned to the hovercraft. Everybody was inside.

"Very well, there's a situation in this district," started Harry. He spoke to everybody but he was facing Rue and Thresh. It was clear that the matter concerned them more than the others. He relayed the information he had learned from the Peacekeepers.

"That's where I live!" cried Rue out when Harry said where half of the Peacekeepers went.

Of course. That was why Harry found the name of the place familiar. Rue had mentioned it once during their mental communications but with what had been happening, Harry had forgotten about it.

"Maybe they think that you are part of some conspiracy," theorized Harry. "I believe that we need to get there right away. As for the rest of you, if anybody wishes to leave, now is the time. Thresh, according to what we've learned, nothing is happening where you live. However, if your home is on the way and you want to go there, we can make a small detour."

"No, it isn't," answered Thresh, shaking his head. "I hope that my sister can take care of herself. She's smart enough to be hidden already."

Harry asked Rue to join him and they jogged off to the cockpit. Harry took off and Rue helped him to navigate. Their destination wasn't far.

They noticed two pillars of smoke first. The smoke was black and thick. They got closer and Harry zoomed in on one of the fires. It was a burning truck.

They noticed people afterwards. Something was happening, that much was sure. Most of them were hiding from the passing hovercraft but a few recognized it as the hovercraft of the tributes. Harry followed signs of disturbance on the ground and made an IR scan. Further ahead, there was almost nobody in the open but people were hiding in buildings.

Finally, they reached positions of hostile Peacekeepers. They had fortified themselves in a wide area around the local Peacekeeper station. There were several roadblocks. Harry checked IR and found out that there was a large group of people in a warehouse guarded by Peacekeepers. Closer inspection made Harry believe that those people were civilians held hostage.

"Do you see that fortified roadblock?" asked Harry and pointed.

"Yes. Are we going to attack it?"

"No. I want you and Thresh to drop a bomb on it. Then we'll use the hovercraft itself to attack them inside their perimeter."

Rue unstrapped herself and rushed back to the passenger area. Harry piloted the hovercraft towards the fortification and announced it through the intercom. The Peacekeepers down there were looking up with suspicion at the approaching vessel.

Rue and Thresh opened a hatch. Harry slowed down and Thresh dropped the bomb. It killed most of the men posted on the fortification and disabled or scattered the rest. The roadblock itself was sufficiently destroyed. Peacekeepers from nearby posts opened fire. Marvel and most of the other tributes wished that they had stayed behind.

"Brace yourself!" bellowed Harry into the intercom.

He guided the hovercraft down and onto a guard tower. The Peacekeepers on it concentrated their fire on the approaching colossus at first. Once they realized their folly, they attempted to get down from the tower. It was too late. Harry winged the tower and it came crashing down. He flew low above the ground and rotated around, crashing into small obstacles along the way. Peacekeepers were being sucked into the propellers.

Harry's piloting seemed random and chaotic but in reality, he was making space around the warehouse. It also was no accident that he finally crashed the hovercraft in such a convenient way that the wreck provided them with sufficient cover to get inside the warehouse. The only Peacekeepers capable of firing on them were two guards posted right in front of the entrance

"Rue, Thresh. You are with me!" commanded Harry as soon as he bounded into the passenger area. "If you grab the weapons of those two guards, keep your finger off the trigger. The rest of you, stay here and join the locals as soon as they reach this position."

Harry opened a door and gunned down both guards. He ran out, took cover, looked around, and waved at Rue and Thresh. He closed his left eye and covered the distance to a side entrance just in time when another Peacekeeper opened fire from inside. Harry shot him from his pistol, pushed the Peacekeeper back, and shot him again from point blank range. The second wound was serious but didn't cause immediate death.

Once inside, he opened his left eye and was able to see a little in the relative darkness. He kept the Peacekeeper as a cover (the man wore a body armour). He hoped that the man was in shock and that he wouldn't think about going limp. Just as he expected, somebody shot at him. Harry let his human shield take the bullet and put a bullet of his own right at the place where he saw the flash. Two more Peacekeepers opened fire and Harry ducked behind a crate. Harry's right eye finally gained some night vision but the two Peacekeepers were attacked by their hostages by that point. There were more shots but all of them went into the roof. Thresh and Rue entered the warehouse. Harry gestured to Thresh to go help with one of the Peacekeepers and went to the other one himself.

"Stand aside!" barked Harry.

The locals looked at him and made space. Harry executed the Peacekeeper by a shot to his heart. Thresh grabbed the other one, tore his gun from his grasp, and knocked him out.

Rue started checking whether her parents were present, calling their names. Finally someone told her the bad news: Rue's parents and some of her siblings had been seen being led inside the Peacekeeper station itself.

"How many children have you seen?" asked Rue.

"Three, I think."

Rue turned to Harry and said, "That means that two more of my siblings can be somewhere out there."

"Very well. I'll storm the station," planned Harry. "Rue, you can trail after me and help me find your parents or you can go back and look around for your other siblings."

"I'll come with you," decided Rue after a moment of hesitation.

"Very well. Keep your distance and stay low. I don't want you to be caught in a crossfire. Thresh, stay here. When more people arrive, tell them where are we going."

Harry left the warehouse through a door on the opposite side from which he had entered. He ran to a cover, looked around, and took a few shots. The Peacekeepers were retreating into the station. The defensive perimeter was breached and the locals reached the fallen hovercraft already. Harry hoped that the tributes were going to be all right.

There was no time to loose. Harry shot a Peacekeeper who was aiming at him from a window and made a dash to next cover. Two more Peacekeepers took notice of him but were gunned down expediently. Harry entered the building and started mewing down any opposition. Once the coast was clear, he waved at Rue.

"Have you ever been inside here?" asked Harry once she arrived. She shook her head.

"Do you know at least whether they have some kind of a holding area here?"

"Yes, they do. The question is if that's where they've put my family."

They got moving. The locals started to enter the building through several points. There was gunfire and it seemed that both sides were shooting. So the locals had armed themselves with weapons of fallen Peacekeepers. Harry imagined those untrained people running around with weapons with unintuitive controls and shuddered.

Harry and Rue came to a corridor which was under Peacekeeper control. There was no cover for an attacker while the defenders were well fortified. Harry considered going back and trying to find another way but something was telling him that the corridor in front of them was a choke point.

"Have you seen anything on wheels back in those offices we have passed earlier?" he asked.

"I think there was a metal cabinet. But it was quite heavy and it would take time to get it here."

"Very well, I'll have to take a risk of an exposure. If anybody arrives, don't let them pass." He was talking about the locals, of course. He didn't want anybody to see him doing magic (and live).

He gave his SMG to Rue and drew his handgun. He rushed through the corridor. The defenders opened fire but Harry misdirected any bullets. Once he got close enough, he started to shoot the Peacekeepers. One of them panicked and ran. Harry shot him in his back.

"Clear!" he shouted. "Follow me."

Rue caught up with him and gave him the SMG back. They progressed further and encountered only light resistance. The Peacekeepers were retreating again, on all fronts. It seemed that the corridor was supposed to become a strong point of their defence.

Before they found Rue's family, they ran into some locals who stormed the building through another way.

"Whoa!" cried out Harry and turned a gun of one of them away from himself by his finger. "Don't point that thing on us and keep your finger of the trigger!"

"What?" asked the accosted local. He was awed a little from meeting the two "celebrities". He also looked like somebody who had spent his entire life on a field and who knew nothing about guns. That was actually quite expectable because all citizens of District 11 fit that description.

"Point that gun in a safe direction and don't put your finger on the trigger until you see a Peacekeeper. And you know what? Why don't you take the point?"

"Take the point?"

"Go first," explained Rue. "Have you seen my family?"

"No, but I've heard that a bunch of them are barricading themselves in the detention area."

"Well, let's get going," ordered Harry.

When they arrived, the situation was pretty much in a stalemate. The Peacekeepers were in an easily defensible position. The area which housed all the holding cells had only one entrance and the Peacekeepers turned that to their advantage. It meant that they had no escape route either but they didn't reach a point yet where they would consider it a problem.

"Do they have Rue's family in there?" asked Harry a guy who seemed to be in charge.

"Yes... Yes, I think they have," answered the man. Just like the others, he still had trouble believing that it was all real.

"Well, we need to attack before they get the idea to use them as hostages."

"That's suicide!"

It was true. Any assault would result in heavy causalities. And Harry couldn't use his magic. He looked around. There was a first aid kit in the large office they were in. Finally, he turned his eyes upward, on a ventilation duct. It seemed that the Peacekeepers wanted a system which would suck any unpleasant odours out of the detention area. Of course, the ventilation didn't lead to the roof directly, it lead through offices first.

"I've got an idea," said Harry.

He shifted a table to a wall and climbed on it. There was a detachable metal plate, probably for utility purposes. Harry raised his handgun but changed his mind and found something to undo the screws.

"It's too small," he announced once he took a peek inside. The duct was buried in the wall only partially as he had suspected.

Harry jumped down and turned to Rue.

"How much do you love your family?" he asked. "That was a rhetorical question," he added quickly. "The real one is whether you are claustrophobic."

"You mean afraid of getting in there? I don't know. I've never tried."

"Well, only one way to find out."

Harry went over to a first aid kit. His idea was to create some kind of disabling gas bomb and have Rue to drop it on the defenders. To his disappointment, it wasn't possible. So he opted for a much simpler plan. He grabbed two balls of wadding and handed it to Rue.

"Put this in your ears," he told her. "Not now. Later, once I'm done explaining."

He grabbed a bandage, a bottle of alcohol, and a packet of some powder. He wasn't entirely sure what it was. He unrolled the bandage, covered it with the powder, and packed it again. He commented that he felt like MacGyver. Nobody even bothered to remind him that they didn't know who that was. Finally, he gave Rue his handgun.

"I trust you already know what to do," he said. "I'll give you three minutes. Then I'll make a smokescreen for myself. Attack as soon as possible after that. Try to look for your family as well."

 _"And whatever happens, keep your emotions under control,"_ he added mentally. _"This would be a bad time to start having accidental magic."_

Rue nodded and put the wadding in her ears. Harry boosted her up and she climbed into the air duct. He went to the entrance of the detention area and doused his bandage packet with alcohol. He prepared to light it up.

Rue crawled through the air duct. She was trying to move as quietly as possible. She thought about Harry's question. Whether she was claustrophobic. Come to think about it, she probably was. It was tight. A lot. She considered how was she going to get out again. Bad decision. That was the worst possible thing to think about in such a situation. Harry was going to pull her out of there.

Thinking about Harry and her family, she calmed herself and started to crawl again. She didn't get that far only to get stuck in a stupid air duct because of a panic attack. When her name had been drawn, she had thought that her life had been over. When Harry had made an eye contact with her and she had heard his voice in her head, she had thought that she had gone crazy. At the present time, she was back and she was going to help to save her family. After all, if she was a witch, than there was a probability that one other or even more of her siblings had the same potential. Technically, that made their survival worth facing any risk.

Rue reached a grill and peeked out. She couldn't see her family anywhere but it was an excellent vantage point. There wasn't much time left. She assumed a position as comfortable and stable as possible. She gripped the gun in her right hand loosely. She added her left hand to the grip. Unlike her right hand, her left hand was clasped firmly around the handle (and fingers of her right hand). She put her finger inside the guard and took aim.

Harry set his makeshift "bomb" on fire and tossed it inside. It didn't generate as much smoke as he hoped but it surely drew attention. Rue took a deep breath and slowly, ever so slowly, she started to squeeze. The trick wasn't to aim properly. The trick was to avoid pulling the gun down or sideways when pressing the trigger.

 _"There's no recoil,"_ thought Rue as she pushed past the point of resistance. The recoil was somewhat more powerful than she expected. After all, she was only twelve.

The Peacekeeper she was aiming at dropped to the floor. He wasn't dead but he was out of business. Rue kept firing, not bothering to aim properly any more. Harry emerged from the smoke and opened full automatic fire. He drew attention from the air duct and took cover again. The locals followed after him.

Harry reloaded and was about to rejoin the fight when he noticed that there was no fight, only sounds of rushed footsteps. The few surviving Peacekeepers retreated even further and the locals were positioning themselves. Harry tapped one of them on a shoulder and pointed at the grill from behind which Rue was waving at them. He looked rather nervous so Harry figured out that he wouldn't mind staying behind and helping Rue out.

The question was, how were the Peacekeepers able to retreat when they were already cornered. The answer become apparent soon. There were only four of them and they were all in one of the cells. And they had hostages - Rue's family. Harry put his SMG down and took a handgun.

"Well, well, well," he hollerred as he walked among the locals. "It seems to me that some people here wish to negotiate their way out of this situation." He came to a stop in front of the cell, levelled his gaze at an officer who seemed to be in charge, and added, "Only, I hope you realize that you don't have much space for negotiation here."

The officer seemed to be the only one who was from the Capitol. The other men were probably from District 2 but none of them looked like they didn't belong there.

"What are you talking about?" retorted the officer. "We don't need to negotiate with a scoundrel like you. Reinforcements are surely on the way."

"If there were any reinforcements, they were for us," sneered Harry. "Not that we need them any more. The only other place where your friends put up a fight is the central town - as you surely know. And they have their hands full and wouldn't come to your help anyway since the fight is already over here."

The officer looked around and frantically thought about his situation. There were sounds of groaning metal as the grill blocking Rue's way out of the air duct was being opened.

"Well, let's talk about this standoff situation, shall we?" continued Harry. "As you surely realize, the only thing that holds these guys back," (Harry pointed at the locals with his thumb over his shoulder) "is their consideration for their tribute. But that's not going to last. There's a lot of anger in them, accumulated from a lifetime of abuse, starving, and repression. I can literally feel it bubbling in them. Now, should you kill one or more of your human shields, they will move even sooner. But they won't kill you. No, no. They will take you alive and drag you out. What will follow won't be pretty. I know it. I've seen it several times myself. It was quite a common occurrence when the old world started to fall apart. And it was happening often enough long before I was born, when the old world was forming."

The officer was becoming unsure. He didn't look at his men to gauge their mood - they weren't from the Capitol after all. He didn't believe Harry's story about being centuries old. At least not on a conscious level. However, that was utterly irrelevant in his current situation.

"I guess you're asking yourself now how are you going to get out of this?" carried Harry on. "And that's where I come into play. I'll make you a trade. I'll save you from this fate if you let Rue's family go. I bet you're asking yourself how do I plan to do it. Well, I assure you I can make good on my promise but I won't divulge how."

Harry locked eyes with the officer and used his magic. That did it. The officer looked at the angry faces behind Harry and when Rue arrived, he lowered his weapon and nodded at his men. Rue's family scurried out of the cell, giving Harry quick looks of gratitude. Rue grabbed her mother's hand and led her family away.

"And here's what we agreed on," drawled Harry and drew his gun.

He shot thrice quickly. When he aimed at his last target, the Peacekeeper raised his hands and cried out, "No! You've promised!"

"And I'm delivering as I've promised," answered Harry and squeezed the trigger.

Harry holstered his gun, turned around, and looked at the faces of the men around. They seemed more shocked than disappointed. That was a good sign.

"The fight is over," stated Harry. "I advise you to come to terms with that before District 13 gets here."

"What about the central town?" asked one of them.

"There's no way to get you there to be of any help before that fight ends."

Harry walked out of the detention area. Rue and her family were waiting for him. Harry shook hands with her parents. They both seemed still rather shaken.

"That was cold," remarked Rue.

"There was no way the people here would let them leave. And I wasn't willing to let them fall in their hands alive. Enough talk, let's look around for your remaining siblings."

They all left the building together. There was no need to search for anybody, Thresh was already making his way to them with two small children in tow. They saw him in TV with Rue so they probably considered him a friend and weren't afraid of him.

All the children started to hug each other but Harry took the parents aside and told them, "Listen, it would be better if you took your children and stayed away for a day or two. It's not like you are in any danger but guys from thirteen would love to give Rue a lot of questions."

"Very well," agreed the father. "Thank you. For everything. Our daughter would be dead if not for you."

Thresh started to grow impatient so Harry said a quick goodbye to Rue. He approached Thresh and told him that they needed to find a car.

"Let me guess, you don't know how to drive," asked Harry when they found one which wasn't destroyed.

"And where the hell would I learn that?" retorted Thresh.

"Point taken. Let's go."

The trip proved to be uneventful. As Thresh expected, his sister and grandmother had waited the whole thing out somewhere out of sight. Not that there had been much to wait out, all the Peacekeepers moved to the central town. When Harry and Thresh arrived, Thresh's family was already returning home.

"Well, I need to get going," said Harry unceremoniously instead of a farewell and drove off.

He stopped as soon as he found a good cover for "his" vehicle and stowed it away. He walked away a bit and pulled out his little time machine. Out of habit, he looked at a nearby tree - there was no message scratched in its bark. Harry had a feeling that his trip was going to be devoid of any action. He could do with a bit of rest anyway.

* * *

Katniss woke up some time after they crossed the border of District 11 and entered a no district land. Soon enough, she started to recognize the landscape around them from some of her hunting forays. She told Cinna which turn to take to get to a nearest entrance gate.

The electricity in the fence was off, as expected. However, the gate was still closed. Katniss didn't think anything about that and opened it.

The Justice Building was nearer than the Seam and Katniss thought that it was just as good place to start searching for her family and Gale as any. She navigated Cinna there.

There was a large crowd. Some of them noticed the incoming Peacekeeper car and became nervous. They calmed down when Katniss stepped out. She heard her name being called and a little while later, her mother and sister emerged from the crowd.

"Katniss!" cried out Prim.

Both sisters broke into a run and reached each other in two seconds. Prim leapt into Katniss's arms. Katniss squeezed her sisters almost as if she wanted to crush her. Their mother was further behind, shuffling warily forward. She noted the two handguns strapped to her daughter's thighs and she still remembered the footage from the arena. Prim cared nothing about that though. She cried from the relief and Katniss kissed her all over her face. She was glad that her family was safe and that Prim understood that she had never wanted to leave them. She had said some things during Flickerman's interview about always planning to volunteer one day but it was a lie concocted for the sake of the show. Harry's show.

"And this is why what we do matters," remarked Cinna.

Portia said nothing and was just smiling. Clove rolled her eyes. She had a feeling that no such welcome awaited her at home.

In his hiding place, Harry observed what was happening. He regretted two things: that he had no camera and that youtube no longer existed. It felt like a perfect closure for the events of the day. Then again, Katniss probably wouldn't like it if he taped her in such a moment.

"I was worried that somebody would take you hostage," said Katniss finally.

Prim grew serious, shook her head, and told her, "No, the Peacekeepers here didn't try anything. It's the other way around."

Katniss sobered up quickly. She glanced at the crowd and then at her mother who arrived to them.

"The Peacekeepers were packing up, preparing for departure," explained her mother. "Then a mob formed. Gale and some others are trying to calm the situation."

Katniss snapped back into her cold-mode and stood up. Cinna noticed that something was going on and headed towards them. He took his SMG with him.

"Go to my friends and stay with them," commanded Katniss.

"I'm going with you," insisted Cinna, arriving just in time to hear that.

Katniss wanted to object that the situation had nothing to do with with him but she changed her mind and nodded. They moved through the crowd which parted for them. Most of them were from the Seam. It was logical. The inhabitants of richer areas were probably at home. Katniss spotted Gale's family and sent them towards Portia as well.

When they made their way to the other side of the crowd, all became clear. The mob was led by former bookmakers, snitches, and generally anybody who could be described as a collaborator. Trying to score cheap points in front of average sheep of the district. The people were gathered around the Peacekeeper headquarters. The Peacekeepers had got offices in the Justice Building but their base of operations was in a separate building. That was also where most of their gear was stored and where their vehicles were parked. The mob was only in front of the building, blocking the road which the Peacekeepers intended to take. That left the Peacekeepers with two options. One was to leave their vehicles and sneak out through rear entrances. The other was to punch through the crowd. The mob leaders didn't realize that the latter was more realistic. Gale and all the other guys from the Hob were in the middle, trying to calm the situation down. The mayor was with them but it was apparent that he would prefer to be elsewhere.

"What's happening here?!" boomed Katniss. Well, more like shouted. Her voice alone wasn't that intimidating but the two guns on her hips were. So was the black guy with a SMG on her heels.

Gale turned and looked at her. He seemed relieved. At the time, Katniss didn't wonder whether it was because he was glad that she was all right or because he wanted her help with defusing the situation. Katniss gave him a nod. She made a few steps forward and spied Darius. She nodded at him as well. Commander Cray was a little more behind. Katniss appreciated that he wasn't hiding somewhere.

"It's rather simple," answered Gale. "Our friends among the Peacekeeper force convinced the others to leave our district without a fight." That wasn't true. Commander Cray gave the order to leave as soon as Coin aired her address to Panem. None of the Peacekeepers had any desire to hold District 12. Alas, Gale needed to make himself look better. "It seems that some people here were disappointed by that," finished Gale.

"I see," replied Katniss loudly. "Let me guess, all those disappointed people are former collaborators. People who reported crimes which even the Peacekeepers themselves would be happy to overlook. In other words, people who should fear getting lynched themselves. And yet, here they are, fanning the very same anger that could get them killed. Perhaps they foolishly think that this crowd won't turn on them afterwards." Katniss was bluffing. She knew perfectly well that their strategy was perfectly logical. "Or perhaps they hope that commander Cray will order his men to shoot their way out of here. There wouldn't be many people left to do the hanging in such a case."

"Are you siding with them?" threatened one of the crowd leaders. It was a cheap threat. After all, Gale and others did side with Peacekeepers

"Of course I am," responded Katniss bluntly. "I owe them a debt of gratitude. Not only did they turn a blind eye to my hunting but they were actually buying venison from me. Come to think about it, they were among my best customers."

"Hah! And who's a collaborator now?"

"Apparently not me. Or is there anybody who has solid arguments saying otherwise?"

"They are Capitol scum!" insisted another. "We let them go and they join with remnants of their forces. They'll become strong again and they'll try to avenge their city!"

"You are forgetting one small detail," retorted Katniss. "These people aren't from the Capitol. They are from District 2 and they just want to go home."

"Yes, both Potter and Coin said as much in their speeches," seconded Gale. He turned to the Peacekeepers and continued in louder voice, "Just to be clear, which of you are from District 2?"

There was a small roar among all Peacekeepers.

"And which of you have been born in the Capitol?"

There was silence. After a while, somebody murmured, "Well, our commander..."

"I have," announced commander Cray finally.

Katniss raised her hand in a gesture of admission and commented, "Well, I'm pretty sure your Capitol friends would consider you a traitor. You have been tolerating our hunting forays and buying at black market just like any other Peacekeeper." She turned to the crowd and continued, "We all know commander Cray from the Hob. We wouldn't call him a good man and he has many flaws, his drinking being the least of them. However, he isn't our enemy. And if any of you have any kind of grievance with him, consider this: He might still be useful in District 2, just like all the other Peacekeepers here."

"What are you talking about?" asked somebody.

It was Cinna who responded. "There are Capitol units in District 2," he explained. "If things go wrong there, it could mean a war with District 13. These people you are hindering could help to settle things over there."

"And commander Cray himself could serve as a negotiator," added Katniss. "With him being from the Capitol himself and all."

There was some grumbling but the crowd lost its momentum. A little while later, the crowd leaders were met with accusations from those who stood behind them. The danger of a riot and a subsequent bloodshed was averted.

Clove went forth. The Peacekeepers agreed to take her along. While they were finishing preparations for departure, the mayor drafted a letter. It didn't have much weight but it explained that Cray and his troops weren't enemies. Both the mayor and Katniss signed the letter.

"Avoid other districts as much as possible and get there as fast as you can," advised Cinna. Cray nodded.

Darius and several other Peacekeepers met with Katniss before leaving. They said their farewells and well wishes.

Once last truck drove away, Cinna called at the people around, "Listen up! Portia and me are going to continue to District 13. It's nearby. Your district is now in a situation when it can't survive on its own. If you wish, you can send two representatives with us."

A member of the council and a "respectable" member of the Hob community were selected. Katniss took her Capitol-made bow and arrows from the car. Cinna and Portia hugged her and told her to look after herself.

When they left, Gale approached her and remarked, "Friends of yours?"

Katniss levelled her gaze at him and retorted, "Yes. Very good ones."

Gale nodded. "There will be a little celebration at the Hob," he informed her. "Are you coming?"

While he was talking, Katniss spotted something behind Gale for a moment. It was a person hiding in an upper level of a storage building.

"It's too early to celebrate anything yet but I'll stop by," she replied. "Could you go ahead and remind them that this is only a beginning? I need to finish something here."

Gale narrowed his eyes in confusion. He nodded and left. Katniss went to the storage building.

"Very nice crowd control," commended her Harry once she arrived. "And you didn't have to resort to violence. Unlike me in Rue's home town. That was a bloodbath. Everybody is OK though."

"Are you from future?" asked Katniss.

"No. I've closed the loop a while ago, if that's what you're asking," answered Harry. "However, I did travel back after resolving the situation in District 11."

"Did you have to do anything in here?"

"No, I'm afraid that my trip here wasn't necessary. Alas, those are the trappings of time travel. You need to make the trip always, even when it isn't needed. As a matter of fact, you need to avoid all knowledge of the past and base your decision to travel solely on data which were available to you at the time into which you wish to travel. That's the only way to avoid a paradox."

"Please, do keep those details to yourself," retorted Katniss dryly. "You are making me feel light-headed again." She sighed, shook her head, and tried again, "Look, I just want to say thank you for going through the trouble. You upheld your side of a bargain - I'm home and my family is all right."

Harry smiled and assured her, "It wasn't a trouble. Once I saw that everything was relatively calm here, I've put a temporal tracking charm on Prim and visited some of the other districts before returning here. Even managed to catch some Z's. And it's you who's owed a big thanks. You didn't just keep the other tributes safe, you united them. And in extension, you made the districts a little more united as well. That's more than I could have done."

"Oh please. I was just doing my best to keep myself and Rue alive."

Harry shook his head in amusement and said, "You know, you remind me of myself when I was your age. I wasn't admitting to myself what an impact I had on the world and people around me. And here we are today, in a world created by wars which outcomes I determined or influenced. The difference between us is that your influence is undoubtedly beneficial."

Katniss made no reply.

"Well, I'd better get going," continued Harry. "This was a long day but I still need to spy on Cinna's and Portia's debriefing. I fear that Coin might decide to put all the blame for the destruction of the Capitol on me."

"But we..." started Katniss and fell silent.

"We nothing!" snapped Harry. "The bunker imploded on its own, we had nothing to do with it, and there's no such thing as time travel or magic. Do you understand?"

Katniss nodded.

"If you feel that you can't lie about this, I can put a mild memory block on those events. You would still remember it but it would make it easier to ignore that it ever happened. However, I would prefer not to do it. Mind magic isn't my field."

Katniss didn't know whether he was bluffing but she opted not to find out. "Stuff it," she rebuffed him. "I can keep my mouth shut."

"Glad to hear it. I'm sorry to be so pushy but this is important."

"I know."

"In that case, I'll be off."

"Don't get caught," sneered Katniss.

"I wasn't planning to," retorted Harry and turned to walk away. Then he changed his mind, turned back and said, "Look, let's not become strangers. Maybe you and your family could visit me. Later, when things settle down. We'll have a lunch."

"Sounds nice."

Harry turned again, walked away, and teleported.


	11. Epilogue

Epilogue

Rue's father opened the door. It was shortly after their return from their pre-emptive exile. Harry came to visit them.

"Good morning!" said Harry jovially and shook the father's hand. "I apologize for the intrusion, I won't keep you long."

He was carrying a small flowerpot with a strange flower. He gave it to Rue's mother. She had never seen such a flower before.

"I'm here to talk with you about your daughter's education," said Harry when the three of them plus Rue sat down.

"Her education?" asked the mother, somewhat confused.

"Hers and possibly some of your other childrens as well. Now, there's something you don't know about your children..."

* * *

Clove stormed furiously out of her parents' house. There had not been time to address the issue before but it had to come eventually. And it didn't go well.

When she arrived with Peacekeepers from District 12, District 2 was on a verge of chaos or on a verge of starting a new war. Possibly both. The Capitol stronghold was still under control of Capitol officers. The only advantage was that they were cut off from their chain of command and they weren't prepared for that. Well, the chain of command above them was completely destroyed, to be precise.

Surprisingly enough, Clove's return was welcomed by many. Some weren't as enthusiastic and claimed that her return meant nothing because she wasn't a victor (not that it would matter even if she was, with the Capitol being out of the picture).

Clove and Cray's men approached the citizens of the district and started to calm the situation down. They told everybody that it would be foolish for their district to try to become a new power (under Capitol banner) of Panem. They produced almost no food after all and thus couldn't survive on their own. The word spread and the people stopped agreeing with the commanders of the Capitol stronghold soon.

The situation started to get messy again afterwards. Commanders of the stronghold learned about their actions and sent an unit to escort Clove and Cray into the stronghold so they could personally explain their doing. It didn't end well (for the sent unit).

A small contingent from District 13 arrived shortly afterwards. After evaluating the situation, they told Clove and her "friends" that they couldn't spare much manpower yet (because their main focus was the Capitol nuclear silo which was still under Capitol control) but that they were willing to help in any way they could. The soldiers of District 13 were smart enough to present themselves as an auxiliary force instead of problem solvers. The inhabitants of District 2 wouldn't take kindly to them trying to impose their will on them.

The stronghold went into lock-down. No people loyal to the Capitol remained in the district itself. Both Clove and Cray were drafted into a negotiation team. Clove, to influence any stronghold personnel who were from her district. Cray, to appeal on his Capitol comrades. Not that he was much successful, since they either didn't know him or considered him a loser.

The commander of the stronghold, which the soldiers from District 13 started to call the Nut, proved to be stubborn and quite sinister. He knew that they weren't in a situation which they could win but he knew that they were in a great position to cause as much damage as possible. He intended to use this fact to blackmail his enemies.

Then the commander was found dead in his quarters one morning. He hanged himself. He left a simple note which read: Whatever you do, do not surrender this base. That was quite strange. Why did he left such a note when he himself gave up? Either way, morale in the Nut decreased dramatically.

The situation calmed down gradually afterwards but those events were beyond Clove. As far as she knew, neither side had any great desire to start a prolonged siege. Whether it was a sign that District 2 was going to become a peaceful member of the new Panem or whether it was merely a calm before storm, she didn't know.

She finally approached her former mentors. The official ones (who were responsible for sending gifts) all died in the Capitol. However, the ones in charge of the academy for tributes and her trainers were still in the district.

Clove wasn't pleased by results of any of the meetings. Rue's accusations were proven true. Everybody knew about everything and everybody denied that they had ever lied to Clove. They made various excuses about assuming that somebody else had talked with her about it.

The last on her list of people to confront were her own parents. She wasn't surprised by the result but it hurt her most and made her most angry.

And that left her at her present predicament. She never wanted to see her parents again, that was for sure. The same went for her mentors. But what were her options? The only career she had been ever prepared for was that of a tribute.

Her thoughts was to join Peacekeepers. Surely they wouldn't turn her down and Cray could vouch for her. Unfortunately, that would still mean that she would live near the people she never wanted to see again because Peacekeepers from District 2 could no longer serve anywhere else. Moreover, being a Peacekeeper held some negative connotations. For all she knew, the institution was going to be abolished.

There was another option though. She could join the forces of District 13. Their units were in District 2 still and they knew her. She could talk to them. Decision made, she set up a brisk pace to their "HQ". She didn't even consider returning to her parents' house to gather her things.

Out of nowhere, she was joined by another person who seemed to have the same way. It was Harry. She was so startled that she jerked. She barely noticed that he looked older than before.

"What are you doing here?!" she exclaimed once she caught her breath.

"Oh come on," drawled Harry. "Is that a way to greet old friends? I was in the neighbourhood so I've thought to stop by and see how are you doing."

Clove folded her arms and made no answer. She had some trouble believing that Harry's presence was truly coincidental.

"Speaking of which, how are you doing?" continued Harry. "Seriously. Are you having nightmares about the arena or such?"

"No, I sleep well," retorted Clove shortly. "Thank you."

"Well, you seem out of sorts right now, if you don't mind me saying."

"I do mind. Now cut the crap and tell me what you want."

Harry rolled his eyes and did as she wished, "After talking to Rue, I came to believe that you weren't going to be content here. You had to go back to help to settle the situation here, there's no question about that. The important question is, what do you want to do now?"

Clove hesitated for a moment and told him about her plan to join District 13.

"Not a bad choice," commented Harry. "There has been a pox epidemic some years ago so they need all the fresh blood they can get, if you catch my drift."

There was a flash of annoyance in Clove's eyes. Both because Harry was using some strange phrases again and because she knew that he made that remark on purpose.

"Of course, you might want to consider something," continued Harry. "Up till now, you've led quite an unfree life. You didn't exactly choose to enter the academy, you didn't choose their plot to make you a victor, and you most certainly wouldn't be in control of your own life if you were a victor. In District 13, there's actually even less freedom than there was in the Capitol. To their defence, they would never survive without their stringent rules for as long as they did. So as I see it, you've got two options before you. One is to reject the idea of freedom and join District 13, become a part of their system, let them dictate your life. Yes, there is some feeling of safety to it. You worry about nothing, you just follow orders. They will tell you when to get up in the morning, when and what to eat, what to do during your day, and when to go to sleep. It will actually mean a lot less freedom than you have been used to till now."

"And my other option?"

"Take charge of your life. It's a scary leap into unknown but when you make it, it's worth it. I did it centuries ago when I was your age and I've never regretted since."

Once again, Clove made no answer and waited for him to clarify.

"You know what the current situation in America is, right?" asked Harry. "There's Coin and her District 13, there's somewhat divided District 2, and there are remnants of Capitol forces. Now, we can sit tight and hope that these three sides will balance themselves out somehow. However, there's a catch. Concerning food."

"District 2 and Capitol forces do not produce food," understood Clove. "The only upper district which does is District 4."

"Exactly. And that's the point where I'm starting to get worried about safety of districts 10 and 11. Especially 11, because agriculture is a basis of any economy. District 10 isn't as important."

"So? What are you planning?"

"Well, I have no concrete plans yet other than getting ready for any unpleasantness. I was thinking about putting together a little troupe of people. Kevin has joined already."

Kevin was the boy from District 3. Harry liked his creativity.

Clove blew some air through her nose and retorted, "Join you? Why do you think I would consider that a good idea?"

That was the opening Harry was waiting for.

"Because unlike you, I have military training. Which I can pass onto you. You've seen what Katniss was able to do after a short preparation with me. Sure, she had previous training but so do you. I can make you more lethal than you've ever dreamed of."

And that was the moment when Clove started to consider Harry's offer seriously.

* * *

Early in morning, Katniss, Prim, and their mother arrived to a long meadow. That was where Harry was supposed to pick them up but he wasn't there yet. They were carrying coats and caps in their hands.

"How exactly are we going to get there?" asked Mrs. Everdeen.

"I don't know," replied Katniss. "He said it was a surprise."

They waited.

"What's that sound?" asked Prim suddenly.

The others started to listen. It wasn't terribly loud, more like a gentle purring. And then they saw it flying over trees - a biplane (not that they knew how it was called). Harry was in the cockpit, waving enthusiastically at the three figures on the ground.

"Well, I honestly didn't expect that," muttered Katniss.

Harry angled the anciently looking aeroplane and made a corkscrew manoeuvre which lined him up for landing. A Capitol pilot would note that it was more manoeuvrable than a hovercraft (at the same speed) but the three onlookers just took it as a fact.

The wheels touched the ground, bounced slightly, and touched down again. He killed the engine and the plane came to a stop after a while. Harry climbed out, shifted his goggles to his forehead, and waved again. Katniss and her family walked over to him.

"Hello guys!" called Harry. "It's so nice to finally meet you all."

He proceeded to greet with all three of them individually. He bowed to Mrs. Everdeen and shook her hand. Katniss took a closer look at the aeroplane in the meantime. It was made mostly of wood and fabric. Harry was talking to Prim when Katniss interrupted him.

"Harry, what is this thing?" she asked.

"Oh, that's my new toy," answered Harry with a grin. "I was searching for survivors at the edges of the Capitol when I came upon an abandoned car. I took its electro-engine. It doesn't look like much but its weight to power ratio is better than Bentley's. I mean, the ones used in..."

Harry came to a stop when he saw that his audience had no idea what was he talking about.

"Anyway, this is what people used to fly in about a century before I was born. With all hovercraft being in possession of District 13 or Capitol forces, I've thought that this could become a cheap way of personal transportation for normal people. Quite steampunkish, eh?"

Suddenly, Katniss remembered the book that Harry had been studying in the bunker under the Capitol. Did it contain all the blueprints necessary to construct the flying machine? She almost asked him about it when she remembered that they couldn't talk about it in front of her family.

Harry asked Katniss to help him push the plane to a starting position. He explained that it had awkward controls in taxing and that it was better to simply push it.

"Be careful where you put your hands," he emphasized. "They could come right through if you aren't careful."

As they were pushing, he inquired, "By the way, did anybody from District 13 come to see you?"

"You don't know?" wondered Katniss.

"Believe it or not, I don't spy on you all day long."

"Well, Cinna stopped by to take my statement," she answered. "There was a District 13 officer with him, somebody named Boggs. Cinna was the one who interviewed me though. I've told him everything that happened, with the exception of you know what."

They pushed the plane to a position and turned it around.

"Very well, put your coats on and get in!" said Harry and rubbed his hands together. "It's time for you to experience some genuine British cuisine."

He waited for a moment. He received only encouraging smiles.

"Well, this is probable first time somebody said such a thing and wasn't met with horrification," commented Harry.

"Why?" asked Katniss.

"Well, our cuisine was considered one of the worst. Especially by French. They said that they slaughtered animals twice in Britain. Once in the actual slaughter and once in a kitchen. No matter, I'll let you be the judge of that."

Harry helped the others climb in the plane. There were only two passenger seats so Prim had to sit on Katniss's lap. Harry provided a special harness for that. He kept expecting Prim or Mrs. Everdeen to question safety of such transportation but nobody had any concerns. He guessed that they were simply used to never questioning technology.

"Put your caps over your ears properly!" warned Harry. "It's terribly windy up there. Also, look forward at land in front of us and try to overcome the motion sickness. Puking would ruin your appetite."

Harry started the engine and set it on maximum. The plane started to roll forward. It was only then when Prim and her mother started to get worried. Katniss just held Prim tightly and told her not to fear. She knew that Harry would be able to save them even if the wings fell off during the flight. They took off.

As they climbed, they started to feel colder. Harry was right, it was windy up there. They turned south west and cruised at two hundred feet. The pilot was in his element but he refrained from doing anything stupid for the sake of his passengers.

The countryside sped under them. Their speed was almost two hundred kilometres per hour. The maximal cruising speed of the craft was even greater but Harry opted to go slower.

Prim got over her fear soon enough and started to look around. Before too long, she started to crane her neck over edges of the cockpit.

"Look, Katniss! Over there!" she cried and pointed something out.

Katniss demeanour was exactly opposite. She stared forward stiffly and refused to look at whatever caught her sister's attention. She was starting to feel nauseated and couldn't wait for the trip to end.

Harry turned around in his seat and asked, "What's wrong? You had no problems in a hovercraft."

"Look where are you flying!" yelled Katniss.

"Why? There's nothing but empty air all around us."

"Just look forward!"

"OK," gave Harry up and turned back.

Prim squirmed and looked over Katniss's shoulder at their mother. Mrs. Everdeen looked mostly at her feet and only sometimes raised her eyes to look either at the back of Katniss's head, the wings, or the horizon in front of them.

Fields and orchards appeared. Both Prim and Harry were pleased to see people working them (Katniss and her mother didn't notice). Especially Harry was worried that most people from District 11 would fancy playing at soldiers which would undoubtedly lead to economical regression of the district.

Katniss was glad when Harry shouted they were going for a landing. She was less pleased when he started doing a wide half-circle. At least he didn't do any sharp manoeuvres like when he had arrived to District 12.

There was a long grass field. Harry was using it for landing. Katniss held Prim tighter so she wouldn't move around during the landing. The ground grew nearer and then the wheels touched the ground.

As soon as the plane slowed down to a stop, Katniss unbuckled Prim's safety belt and told her to disembark. She herself needed to get out of her seat and feel solid ground under her feet again. Prim jumped down and cried, "That was great!"

Katniss followed after her. Harry was out as well already and helped Mrs. Everdeen down. Katniss sat on the ground and put her head between her knees.

"Katniss!" cried out Rue who arrived to the "runway". She ran towards them with intention to give Katniss a hug. She slowed down when she noticed Katniss's demeanour. Katniss raised her hand in greeting and turned her eyes down again.

"Just give her a moment," excused her Harry and introduced Rue and Katniss's family to each other.

Prim and Rue helped Harry to push the biplane to a small solar plant. Harry plugged a cable from the plant in the electro-motor.

"Thresh and his family arrived while you were gone," informed Rue.

"Great! Let's get going."

They helped Katniss to stand up and walked to a nearby estate.

The first thing that Katniss noticed were horses. They were roaming around freely. There was a fence between them and the runway but apart from that, nothing limited their movement. Katniss understood why soon enough. Those horses were from the parade. Obviously, they had been stabled outside of the city.

Next thing she noticed was a hangar where a frame of a wing was being constructed. And there it was, the book from the vault. Harry left it on the unfinished frame. It was open and draft was turning its pages.

"Shouldn't you be taking better care of those books?" whispered Katniss to Harry. "Hermione left them for your so they could last centuries."

"Well, they did last centuries and they have found their way to me."

As they continued, Katniss saw more signs of post-apocalyptic do-it-yourself activities. It seemed that Harry and his companions were trying the manuals one by one. Katniss wondered whether Harry was going to try some crop farming and use a book instead of knowledge of citizens of District 11.

They passed a small workshop and Katniss saw the boy from District 3 in there.

"Kevin!" called Harry. "Stop tinkering with whatever you're tinkering with. We have guests."

The boy put his work down and went to wash up.

"What's he doing here?" whispered Katniss.

"He's a creative guy. I gave him an offer to join me, he accepted."

They reached a house where Harry lived. Thresh had seen the biplane to arrive and was already walking in their direction to meet them. He and Katniss greeted each other and shook hands. Then Thresh changed his mind and pulled her in a big bear-hug. Katniss squealed when her feet left the ground and told Thresh to put her down.

Thresh's sister remained behind with their grandmother who was talking to Rue's parents. Thresh led Katniss and her family to them. There were more introductions. Thresh's sister gave Katniss another hug.

"I'm going to learn to shoot like you do," told Rue's little brother to Katniss. He was holding a springy twig with a string attached to both ends. It took her a moment to realize that it was supposed to be a bow.

"Wow, and you've even made yourself a bow already," replied Katniss diplomatically.

"Actually, I've made that bow," confessed Harry. "Originally for myself. Couldn't hit anything with it."

A big surprise came afterwards. Katniss saw Clove. They nodded at each other.

"Well, I'd better finish the cooking," said Harry. He had made soup and pies already but he still needed to cook the main course.

"Potatoes have been peeled while you were away," informed him Rue.

"Thank you."

"Are you sure you don't want any other help?"

"No, thanks. This is supposed to be a British dish and I'm the only Brit here. Anybody is free to join me inside and watch though."

Harry and all the adults went inside the house. Rue offered the others some kidney pie but warned them to eat only a small piece.

After some mingling, Katniss pulled Thresh aside to talk privately. "What's going on here?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Clove, Kevin. Everything else."

Thresh scratched his head and mused, "I can't be sure. He didn't tell me anything. My guess is that he's putting together some kind of a team. Probably to defend our district in case something happens. I wouldn't be surprised if he invited both of us as well before this day is over. Now that I think about it, you didn't look so great after your flight in that contraption of his, right?"

"Yes?" replied Katniss, not understanding his point.

"He's going to stuff you full of food now. When it's time to get your mother and sister back to twelve, you won't go with them."

He was right. Katniss couldn't imagine sitting in that biplane that day again - full belly or not.

She didn't ponder over it too long. Rue's brother asked her to go shoot with him from his bow. He didn't even have proper arrows - just twigs with no head or feathers. That still didn't explain why he couldn't shoot a single arrow. Then she noticed that there weren't grooves (for the bowstring) at their ends. As a result, every arrow merely turned around and slapped him instead getting ejected forward.

Finally it was time for food. Rue started to organize seating. There was a long table with benches behind the house. She and Katniss spread a white tablecloth on it. Prim and Rue's siblings prepared plates and cutlery. Harry and Thresh carried out a large pot of soup.

"Excuse me, Harry, this looks like a parsnip soup to me," remarked Katniss when first plate was poured.

"You do make parsnip soup around here?" asked Harry. "I mean, I know that you do grow parsnips."

"Yes," confirmed Katniss patiently. "It was even legal to do that in District 12 while we were still under the Capitol. And since we have parsnips, we logically make soup of them. Among other things."

"But this isn't your usual parsnip soup," insisted Harry. "This is a traditional British parsnip soup!"

"Well, it's much richer than the parsnip soup we make at home," admitted Prim.

"And what's more important, it was made by somebody who was actually born in England," reminded Harry. "That being said, I don't actually know where exactly was I born. Maybe it was Scotland, maybe it was Wales. But that doesn't matter, it was somewhere in Britain. I hope."

"Excuse me," piped in Mrs. Everdeen. "You keep speaking about this Britain. In which district exactly was it located?"

Harry shook his head with an amused smile and explained, "Britain wasn't on this continent, it was actually on the other side of the ocean. I'll show it to you in an atlas. After the lunch."

When everybody's plate was full, Harry asked, "Is there anybody here who thinks we should say graces? I'm an atheist so I don't."

Nobody understood so Harry had to do some explaining once again.

"Maybe we should," proposed Rue's mother. "I mean, we have never done this because we lived in fear but now we do have much to be grateful for."

Mrs. Everdeen and Thresh's grandma seconded the notion. Harry regretted that he had not kept his mouth shut. In the end, his friends convinced him to say a few words.

After they finished the soup, Harry and Katniss brought second course. It was Sunday roast (with roast potatoes, vegetables, and gravy).

"Well, is this British enough for you?" asked Harry while it was being served. "It's lamb, by the way."

"It looks like a roasted meat," murmured Katniss.

"They didn't prepare lamb like this in the Capitol," said Rue, taking Harry's side.

"We prepare venison like this sometimes," maintained Katniss.

"Exactly like this?" challenged Harry.

"Well, not exactly," admitted Prim.

Mrs. Everdeen discreetly hushed her older daughter because she thought that she was being disrespectful.

"Mr. Potter," she asked after a while. "I wonder why you worried this morning that we wouldn't like the food. Everything is delicious and not that much unusual."

"Well, this perception of our food formed during Second World War," started Harry and proceeded to explain the whole thing.

After the food, Harry brought an atlas (it had been among Hermione's books).

"The ocean level rose, of course, so the coastlines don't look like that any more," he reminded the others. "Just imagine water instead of all low-altitude areas."

"And this is this Britain of yours?" asked Mrs. Everdeen, pointing at a the British islands.

"Yes, indeed."

"Don't you ever wonder how does it look like now? Do you think there are people living there?"

"I doubt that, the country was burned to ashes with nuclear weapons."

Some of the present people knew that he was probably able to travel there but they kept silent. Harry turned page to a map of North America.

"This is where Washington DC was - the capitol of the United States," he pointed out. "Not far from here, heh? Unfortunately, it was destroyed and is now mostly underwater. And here was New York City, not far from District 12. Also destroyed and now completely underwater."

Sometime during the course of the afternoon, three groups formed. One was Harry and his three co-tributes. Second was Thresh's grandma and all the remaining children. Third was all the remaining adults and Thresh's sister.

"So, do you know anything closer about the world around?" asked Katniss. She figured out that Harry could easily travel to Europe and back but she was speaking obscurely because of Thresh.

Harry gave Thresh a quick look and hesitated. "Thresh, are you willing to keep this to yourself?" he asked.

Thresh didn't understand but he nodded.

"Very well," continued Harry. "I do have some limited information about other parts of the world. Most of Britain isn't very radioactive any more but there are pockets where it's inadvisable to venture. The problem is that the environment was destroyed and is still recuperating. There aren't many people left but their population is stable. They are protected by these... creatures. Resilient to radiation. They provide them with food and even bring new people in to prevent inbreeding."

"Creatures resilient to radiation?" asked Thresh, confused. "You mean something like mutts?"

"Yes, very much like that. But smarter."

Harry was actually speaking about vampires. They created colonies for people who shared their blood with them in exchange for safety, comfort, and various pleasures.

"Then there is continental Europe and Africa. Their situation is quite similar - problems with wild beasts."

He was talking about werewolves. They didn't posses the same resistance to radioactivity as vampires but were still better equipped in this regard than humans.

"The difference between them is that Africa is somewhat more populous and not as civilized as some of the stronger enclaves in Europe. South America is also similar but you won't find any people in its north part. By the way, you can't go there on foot. Parts of Middle America are underwater."

"And that big land to the east from Europe?" asked Katniss.

"You mean Asia? Well, I don't have much information from there. However, there's civilisation in its eastern half."

Far east was the only region he didn't dare to visit personally. Some of the areas which weren't hit as hard during the war managed to get themselves back on their feet and actually prosper. They knew about the existence of Panem but preferred to keep to themselves - just like Panen did. Harry also suspected that there were wizards.

"OK, let's change the subject," proclaimed Harry. "How are things in District 12, Katniss?"

"There's not that much to tell," answered Katniss. "There have been some changes but it's mostly quiet. The people from Seam are preparing land in the southern parts of our territory for agriculture come next year but you already know that."

"That's not what I meant," stopped her Harry. "I mean, how are they treating you? They saw you do some rather impressive things. That tends to change your perspective of somebody."

"Well, people from the Hob are looking at me a wee bit differently but we still do business like before."

"And your friends?"

"My only friends there was Gale and his family. They are gone now. Gale joined District 13. He visited later to retrieve his family. He tried to recruit me. I refused."

"What about everybody else?"

Katniss scratched her ear before answering, "I still do some business out of Hob but they don't have that much to offer in return any longer. They are mostly avoiding me. I guess you could say that they are wary of me. That's how I see it at least. However, there was this boy from a family of bakers who talked to me. Coincidentally, he was also the only person from the formerly richer part of the district who talked to me since I returned. And this guy has another theory."

"A baker boy?"

"You don't know him. Anyway, he approached me, all nervous, apologized for bothering me with something that I hear all the time, and expressed his gratitude and pride for what I had done. I've told him that he was the first who told me that and he was surprised and claimed that everybody in his family and everybody else he knows talks about me all the time."

Harry noticed that her tone changed while she spoke. "Wait a minute. You two knew each other from before?"

"We went to school together, of course. And he gave me bread after my father died."

"Bread?"

Katniss explained the whole story. Harry listened with his eyes out of focus.

"I can't believe I've passed such an opportunity!" he croaked when she was finished.

"What?"

"I should have rigged the lottery so he would be picked! Can you imagine it? Such a scenario would have far greater impact than my cheap macho act!"

"You are out of your mind!"

"Not to mention that something would surely go wrong without you there," agreed Rue. "For all we know, both me and Thresh would end up dead. And I hope that you aren't imagining how my death would make all people cry!"

"Well, of course not," assured her Harry. "Then again, it could have been quite dramatic. Katniss would have teamed up with you. Then you would have gotten yourself killed and she would sing to you to ease your passing..."

"You are sick! Do you know that?" exclaimed Thresh, who was listening with wide eyes.

"If you have lived my life, you would be as insane as I am," snapped Harry back at him.

Neither Thresh nor Katniss made any retort because Clove approached them. However, both Harry and Rue seemed to be at ease with her presence.

"We are just discussing how it would have all gone down if a guy who has a crush on Katniss was in the games instead of me," told her Harry.

"Oh, that would have gone down well," replied Clove. "What would have been my position in such a scenario?"

"Well, you would have been one of the antagonists, of course. You would have scoffed at their relationship but deep inside, you would have been jealous."

"Would you stop that?" interrupted them Katniss. "There would be no games in either case, am I right?"

"Yes, of course," confirmed Harry. "I'm just talking about how it would have gone down if there was Peeta instead of me in the games."

Katniss suddenly realized what had happened a moment before. She preferred the way the things had happened over any other alternative. That meant condoning the destruction of the Capitol. She also didn't mind that Harry pulled her along in his little time travel quest. She and Rue had been the only people (besides Harry) who had known what exactly had been happening in each moment. Katniss preferred that over being clueless.

They talked about Coin afterwards. She had become a leader of Panem de facto in the weeks following the destruction of the Capitol.

"I hope that she will show wisdom," mused Harry. "However, if the things in Panem won't go as she expects, she might decide to find some scapegoats. Namely me, Katniss, Thresh, and Rue."

"What would we do in such a case?" asked Katniss.

"Well, I do have some ideas how to avoid bloodshed. Hopefully, I won't have to implement them."

They rejoined the others afterwards. Harry asked Prim what did she want to do in her life and she told him that she wanted to be a doctor. Katniss gave Harry a warning look which meant that he was supposed to leave Prim alone. Harry just grinned back at her.

Time came to get visitors from District 12 back home (so Harry would have enough time to return before sunset). Just like Thresh foretold, Katniss wouldn't even think about getting in the biplane again.

"I have an idea," proposed Harry. "Katniss can stay here and return tomorrow. We have horses here after all. Or better yet, she can return on Sunday."

"Well..." said Mrs. Everdeen. She managed to stop herself from saying, "I don't know..."

"Yes, that's a wonderful idea," agreed Katniss.

Harry said goodbye to Thresh and his family (and asked him to visit again sometime soon). When he was helping Prim up in her seat, he urged her not to even think about unbuckling her seatbelt. Mrs. Everdeen felt somewhat better during the flight than before.

When they landed back in District 12, Harry considered asking Mrs. Everdeen about the Mellarks. Alas, sun was getting real low and he was going to have to land in bad lighting conditions as it was.

When Harry returned, Katniss was sitting by a camp-fire with Rue and her father. Rue's mother had already taken all the younger children home. Clove and Kevin were in their quarters.

"I hope you aren't discussing anything secret," told them Harry as he approached the camp-fire.

"No, we are just making theories about what do you plan to do next," replied Rue.

When Rue and her father went away, Katniss asked, "Time to speak plainly. What are your intentions and what do you need from me?"

Harry chuckled and answered, "America is vulnerable right now. I'm not talking just about internal stability, there are outer dangers as well."

He explained about eastern Asia in greater detail.

"That's one of the reasons why both me and Rue need to avoid using too much magic. The same goes for any other magicals we might find. Too much magic can be detected, if you know how. Those countries out there didn't consider Panem a threat - because it was stable and mundane. That's no longer the case."

"So, in doing what are you doing, you might doom us all?"

"It's better than doing nothing. Just because they are likely to attack us if we are a threat doesn't mean that they won't attack us if we are not. If you want peace, be prepared for war."

"Well, that leads us back to the original question," stated Katniss. "What do you plan and what do you want from me?"

"There are several sides in Panem which have varying degrees of affiliation to each other. What I have in mind is an independent force tasked with keeping Panem safe as a whole. Hopefully, Coin and other leaders will see reason."

"They are more likely to see it as misdirection tactic. They will think that we are covering ourselves by presenting an outer enemy."

After a while of silence, Harry prodded, "So?"

"So what?"

"Will you join me?"

Katniss nodded contemplatively and answered, "Sure, why not?"

"Excellent! Get some sleep then. I'm going to Europe again tomorrow and I'd like you to accompany me."

"Are we going to teleport?" asked Katniss. That was the only kind of travelling she hated more than flying.

"Sure, but not from here. We'll fly some distance away first."

Katniss sighed and went to her room. Harry stayed behind for a while to extinguish the embers. He took in a deep breath of cool night air and went inside the house as well.

 _The end_


End file.
